>The Verity House Agreement was a step in the right direction. Signed last summer by First Minister Humza Yousaf and Cosla president Shona Morrison, it was hailed as a landmark moment in creating a stronger relationship between central and local government. Primarily focused on funding and powers, it included commitments on creating a new fiscal framework, and regular reviews of budgets and what councils control.
>It took less than four months for Yousaf to trample all over that agreement.
>In announcing a council tax freeze without consulting the councils themselves, the first minister broke the ‘no surprises’ clause in Verity House. And despite Glasgow council leader Susan Aitken’s cloth-eared attempts to defend a council tax freeze in a newspaper column earlier this month, Yousaf’s announcement also demonstrated quite clearly how little the Scottish Government cares about its local counterpart.
>This is why Cosla is now publicly voicing its anger at ministers. They have tried using the official channels and all that produced was an agreement not worth the paper it’s written on.
I’ve had to listen to what I know is definitely faked outrage from SNP supporters about Labour’s policy U-turns made it unworthy of their support.
It should be easy for everyone to be outraged at this, and to side with cash-strapped Scottish councils that are trying to stand up to their government’s bullying tactics on the council tax freeze, and holding further funding hostage unless they agree to it.
But I believe many of them are going to have a conflict between backing their councils and backing their SNP. And if backing the SNP means a few U-turns here and there, backed up by convenient mental gymnastics and conditions for why they did it and why the councils deserve it, so be it.
Seems like a simple choice between centralisation and a more local approach. SNP fanboys won’t like it but they’re acting like Westminster on this one.
A high council tax in England hasn’t stopped services from being slashed and councils heading for bankruptcy.
But aye, let’s empty pockets from a public during a cost of living crisis to have that same level in a UK heading for a wall at full speed.
The children commenting on here should ask an adult why poll tax freezes were introduced in the 1st place.
They’re probably all too wet behind the ears to remember the profligacy of the councils through the late 90s early 00s.
Edinburgh city council is as corrupt as they come, I’ll back them, back them up into a fucking hole and pave over it. It’ll be the first instance of a public infrastructure works being finish in 20 years.
If Westminster was to say to the Scottish Parliament: “OK, you have tax-raising powers as a matter of law, but we don’t think you should use them, so if you raise taxes we will cut a proportionate amount from the block grant so the hike achieves nothing”, then I think we would all instantly recognise that as a thuggish and undemocratic bit of politics. Except that is exactly what the Scottish Government is doing with councils: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-refuse-pass-westminster-32195009
In a normal European country (like we are constantly told Scotland apparently is) this would usually lead to the government getting its neck wound in for it by the constitutional court.
If the SNP think that councils shouldn’t be raising tax, then contest the next local authority elections on that basis and win them. But decisions about local taxes should be taken by local authorities.
I’m from Dundee a snp stronghold city ….. how can you back someone who you think are as corrupt as the government they blame for all their failures…
7 comments
>The Verity House Agreement was a step in the right direction. Signed last summer by First Minister Humza Yousaf and Cosla president Shona Morrison, it was hailed as a landmark moment in creating a stronger relationship between central and local government. Primarily focused on funding and powers, it included commitments on creating a new fiscal framework, and regular reviews of budgets and what councils control.
>It took less than four months for Yousaf to trample all over that agreement.
>In announcing a council tax freeze without consulting the councils themselves, the first minister broke the ‘no surprises’ clause in Verity House. And despite Glasgow council leader Susan Aitken’s cloth-eared attempts to defend a council tax freeze in a newspaper column earlier this month, Yousaf’s announcement also demonstrated quite clearly how little the Scottish Government cares about its local counterpart.
>This is why Cosla is now publicly voicing its anger at ministers. They have tried using the official channels and all that produced was an agreement not worth the paper it’s written on.
I’ve had to listen to what I know is definitely faked outrage from SNP supporters about Labour’s policy U-turns made it unworthy of their support.
It should be easy for everyone to be outraged at this, and to side with cash-strapped Scottish councils that are trying to stand up to their government’s bullying tactics on the council tax freeze, and holding further funding hostage unless they agree to it.
But I believe many of them are going to have a conflict between backing their councils and backing their SNP. And if backing the SNP means a few U-turns here and there, backed up by convenient mental gymnastics and conditions for why they did it and why the councils deserve it, so be it.
Seems like a simple choice between centralisation and a more local approach. SNP fanboys won’t like it but they’re acting like Westminster on this one.
A high council tax in England hasn’t stopped services from being slashed and councils heading for bankruptcy.
But aye, let’s empty pockets from a public during a cost of living crisis to have that same level in a UK heading for a wall at full speed.
The children commenting on here should ask an adult why poll tax freezes were introduced in the 1st place.
They’re probably all too wet behind the ears to remember the profligacy of the councils through the late 90s early 00s.
Edinburgh city council is as corrupt as they come, I’ll back them, back them up into a fucking hole and pave over it. It’ll be the first instance of a public infrastructure works being finish in 20 years.
If Westminster was to say to the Scottish Parliament: “OK, you have tax-raising powers as a matter of law, but we don’t think you should use them, so if you raise taxes we will cut a proportionate amount from the block grant so the hike achieves nothing”, then I think we would all instantly recognise that as a thuggish and undemocratic bit of politics. Except that is exactly what the Scottish Government is doing with councils: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-refuse-pass-westminster-32195009
Again: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-daily-mail/20160128/281659664063747
In a normal European country (like we are constantly told Scotland apparently is) this would usually lead to the government getting its neck wound in for it by the constitutional court.
If the SNP think that councils shouldn’t be raising tax, then contest the next local authority elections on that basis and win them. But decisions about local taxes should be taken by local authorities.
I’m from Dundee a snp stronghold city ….. how can you back someone who you think are as corrupt as the government they blame for all their failures…