Ellie Ames 20 September 2023

Calls to scrap council tax hike as consultation closes

Calls to scrap council tax hike as consultation closes image
Image: cornfield / Shutterstock.com

Councils should have complete control over their local tax, thinktank Reform Scotland has said in response to plans to increase council tax across Scotland.

The thinktank called the consultation on the tax hikes, which closes today, ‘effectively pointless’.

The Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) have been consulting on increasing tax for bands E, F, G and H by between 7.5% and 22.5%.

Reform Scotland research director Alison Payne said: ‘The replacement of council tax with a fairer, localised, bespoke set of local taxes has been talked about by most political parties for most of the era of devolution.

‘Why, when those parties are in power, do they do little about it, instead issuing consultations which are effectively pointless?’

Councils should be able to control the rates, bands and form of local tax, she said, allowing them to ‘retain, reform or replace council tax with another form of local taxation, such as a land value tax’.

Yesterday, the Scottish parliament debated the proposed tax increase in a motion submitted by Scottish Liberal Democrats’ economy spokesman Willie Rennie.

Ahead of the debate, Mr Rennie said: ‘It’s 16 years since the SNP solemnly promised in their manifesto to abolish and replace council tax.’

He said the SNP Government had transformed from ‘reformers to defenders of the unfair, discredited council tax’, which it was now hiking ‘with the biggest rises ever’.

‘These tax hikes must be scrapped’, Mr Rennie added.

Public finance minister Tom Arthur said: ‘The potential changes to council tax would only affect around a quarter of properties and, even after they are taken into account, average council tax in Scotland would still be less than anywhere else in the UK.

‘Many people are struggling with their finances and our council tax reduction scheme is there to ensure nobody has to pay a council tax bill they cannot be expected to afford, regardless of what band they are in.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Assistant Director, People

Essex County Council
£96186.0000 - £104843.0000 per annum
Assistant Director, PeoplePermanent, Full TimeUp to £104,843 per annum Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Local Area Coordinator (Chipping Norton)

Oxfordshire County Council
£41771 - £45091
About the Role The Local Area Coordination approach has had a positive impact for communities in other areas of Oxfordshire since we introduced this approach in 2024. We want Chipping Norton’s Local Area Coordinator to act as an accessible point of co Oxford
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Part Time Permanence Support Co-ordinator - SGO Team.

Essex County Council
£26927.00 - £31678.00 per annum + Pro Rata
Part Time Permanence Support Co-ordinator - Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Team.Fixed Term, Part Time£26,927 to £31,678 per annum, full time equival England, Essex, Chelmsford
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Occupational Therapist - Adult Social Care

Essex County Council
£37185 - £50081 per annum
Register your interest here to be notified of upcoming Occupational Therapist opportunities within Essex County Council's Adult Social Care services. England, Essex, Chelmsford
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Public Health Principal

Oxfordshire County Council
£63576 - £67003
Oxfordshire County Council is seeking a skilled Public Health Principal for a full-time, fixed-term maternity cover. Based in Central Oxford with hybrid working (approximately two days per week in-office), this senior role leads the Live Well Promote and Oxford
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council
Linkedin Banner