Scottish Conservatives back Dundee Council Tax cut effort

Scottish Conservatives want any future increase above inflation by any Council to be agreed by local people in a local referendum.

The call comes as the Conservative Group on Dundee Council is moving an amendment on the budget that would band D council tax in that area fall by £7.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament Chamber this afternoon, Alex Johnstone, Scottish Conservative MSP for North East Scotland, said (check against delivery):

"We will support the Scottish Government's Local Government Finance Order 2011 as we support the freeze in the Council Tax.

"Since 2007 the Scottish Conservatives have been the only opposition party to support freezing Council Tax. It has been a welcome relief to households up and down the country who remember only too well the massive increases under Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

"Furthermore we have warned that we will not support any budget which raises Council Tax in 2012/13, thus extending the freeze to 5 years.

"Someday, the freeze will end and that is why we are proposing that any future increase above inflation by any Council would have to be agreed by local people in a local referendum.

"I want to pay tribute to Cllr Donald Hay who, this very afternoon, is moving a Conservative amendment to the budget for Dundee which would actually see the band D Council tax fall by £7.

"I challenge John Swinney to congratulate Cllr Hay on his action and to give his backing to this ground breaking initiative, and encourage the SNP group on Dundee City Council to vote for it."

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