John Swinney accused of planning council tax freeze 'bribe' ahead of Holyrood election
EXCLUSIVE: A senior council figure said the First Minister did not rule out a freeze during a meeting with local authority leaders.
John Swinney has been accused of planning to 'bribe' voters by freezing the council tax weeks before the next Holyrood election.
The First Minister refused to rule out the move in a summit with town hall chiefs last month.
The SNP has pushed through a freeze in most of the years they have been in Government since 2007, with critics saying the policy starves councils of cash.
A freeze was ditched this year and councils backed average bill rises of 9.5%.
It is understood Swinney met council leaders late last month and was quizzed about his final Budget ahead of the Holyrood election.
A senior council insider who was at the meeting said the First Minister did not close the door on another freeze: 'It is deeply disappointing that the First Minister has refused to rule out a freeze or cap on council tax next year. It looks like he may be planning yet another pre-election bribe for voters.
"All councils in Scotland are facing having to make huge cuts to services and jobs next year yet the First Minister seems to want to deprive us of the only real means we have of limiting these cuts. It is an affront to democracy and yet another clear breach of the Verity House Agreement.'
It is understood council umbrella body COSLA will decide this month whether they will continue to be part of a working group with the SNP Government on council tax reform.
The insider said pulling out is an option because of Swinney's refusal to rule out a freeze.
If a freeze was voted through by Parliament, it would come into force on April 1st - coinciding with the Holyrood election campaign.
Labour MSP Mark Griffin said 'The SNP's shambolic approach to local government funding has left families paying more and getting less in return. Years of SNP austerity has forced Scottish Councils to make impossible choices between raising taxes on struggling families or axing local services communities rely on.
'The SNP must treat local government with the respect it deserves and work with Cosla to deliver a budget settlement that protects local services from cuts and doesn't force brutal Council tax hikes on Scottish families.'
A senior SNP figure said Swinney wanted to go into the next election showing voters he had made a difference on the cost of living crisis.
Central to this agenda is restoring winter fuel payments, abolishing peak rail fares and scrapping the two child benefit tax.
Roz Foyer, general secretary of the STUC, said: 'We think the council tax is at root a regressive tax and needs to be replaced. Freezing it is not the answer. A freeze is both damaging to local authorities and to people when there are sudden increases when the freeze is lifted.'
Green MSP Ross Greer said: 'Freezing the Council tax rather than actually fixing it would mean more budget cuts for schools, social care and other local services. John Swinney knows that this tax needs to be scrapped and replaced, but doing so would upset some very rich people who live in very big houses, so he won't do it.
'Most people already pay the wrong rate of Council Tax, which is totally absurd. It's those in smaller homes paying more than they should, all while the super-rich get off with an absolute steal. Another freeze doesn't solve that problem, it just harms the local services we all rely on."
Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie said: 'Has John Swinney learnt nothing from Humza Yousaf's disastrous handling of the council tax when he was leader? Instead of meddling with the decisions that should be left to councils, he should focus on improving the NHS and growing the economy, which are his responsibilities.'
Tory MSP Craig Hoy said: 'If John Swinney does impose a council tax freeze next year, he must give local authorities the funding to be able to deliver it without decimating essential services. If he failed to do so, this would be no more than a cynical pre-election ploy that would put councils in an impossible position.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Future local government finance settlements will be set out in the usual way at future Scottish Budgets.'
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