Not to Labour the point but tax freeze was good
DUPLICITY, effrontery… utter desperation. There are many ways to describe the backward roll Labour has performed on the council tax freeze. None is particularly complimentary.
A year ago some Labour councils threatened to take the Scottish Government to court to end the freeze, claiming it hurt local services.
This year, they had the option to end it but a clutch of councils have choosen to continue it.
Worse, these councils, such as South Lanarkshire, Aberdeen and Inverclyde, shouted the loudest against the freeze and complain about their budget allocation from the Scottish Government.
The SNP council tax freeze was one of the most popular policies ever pursued by a government, so it was par for the course that Labour politicians hated it. No surprise there.
They haven’t exactly had their finger on the pulse of popular opinion in recent times. Under previous Labour governments, the council tax rose by up to 60 per cent, plunging households into crisis.
The SNP introduced the nine-year freeze starting in 2008 to protect individuals and families faced with rising prices (VAT, rent, fuel, food) while the value of wages fell. It was the one tax controlled in Scotland so we made sure it was the one bill that was not going to rise.
The freeze was also fully funded centrally by the SNP Government, who transferred £70million a year to councils to keep bills down.
One independent report, by the Scottish Parliament’s information unit, even found that the freeze was over-funded by the SNP.
But Labour MSPs voted against the freeze every time the SNP put it before the Scottish Parliament.
Their leaders attacked it at every opportunity. On Newsnight Scotland in January 2012, responding to proposals for a further five-year council tax freeze, Scottish Labour’s then deputy leader, Anas Sarwar, said: “I don’t think that’s credible. I don’t think that’s progressive.”
The Labour leaders of both South Lanarkshire and Inverclyde Councils condemned the freeze last year.
But when the SNP decided the time had come for modest rises to help councils meet their costs, suddenly the freeze wasn’t the problem any more. They have both chosen to continue it.
This hypocrisy is even more jaw-dropping when you consider Labour’s proposal for reform.
They want a full-scale revaluation of domestic property. Yes, similar to the recent business rates revaluation which has caused something of a stooshie given that there are losers as well as winners.
How can Labour condemn the business rate revaluation while pushing for the same exercise for residential properties?
Labour even tried to distance themselves from the SNP steps to increase the amount paid by more expensive properties. This makes the tax more progressive – the more you have, the more you pay.
There are safeguards for families with children and lower income pensioners. But when this new “multiplier” was announced, Labour claimed it didn’t go far enough.
Similarly, when the option was given to councils to raise the tax for all households, the Labour head of Cosla objected to the SNP’s three per cent cap. They wanted an even bigger hike.
How could these people change their tune so dramatically? Two words – council elections.
One reason for Labour’s decline in Scotland is the comment: “They take people for granted”.
One definition of this is the belief that you can get away with huge contradictions in policy and practice. In effect, what you say and what you do are in opposition. Offenders hope the punters won’t notice. Or else they won’t care.
Those days are gone. It’s why so many of the electorate don’t believe a word Labour say in Scotland.