Puzzled by change of heart motive
Dear Editor
Our household, like so many others, received a letter from local MP Alyn Smith. In the first instance I was delighted it had his picture attached as I would not have known him from Adam as we never see him coming round like a previous incumbent made a point of.
This was regarding the suspension of the proposed link road and while I am utterly delighted this has had a rethink (although only temporary), I feel I need to raise the blatant misinformation contained in the letter he sent to the chief executive of the council.
He has stated the council’s increasingly difficult fiscal position due to the austerity caused by the UK government. May I respectfully draw people’s attention to the following:
1. The minority SNP government froze the Council Tax in 2008 and has only had a small annual increase imposed by the council;
2. The minority SNP government currently have applied a higher tax band to mid-level earners like myself and harvest all income tax revenue from every taxpayer;
3. The Barnett formula took the increased devolved tax revenue into account and we still receive the equivalent value.
The institute for government’s own figures clearly show a steady increase of funding over the last decade, feel free to look at the link https://www. instituteforgovernment. org.uk/explainers/barnettformula.
I am left to wonder as to the motives. Suddenly there is support for something the electorate feel strongly about. Could this sudden change of heart have anything to do with the apparent, albeit minor drop in support for the incumbent minority due to the Holyrood debacle?
Next thing we will see no doubt will be a rethink on the bin issue although I’m not holding my breath.
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