Tory motion will help people form a view of ‘local’ income tax

02/10/2008

Speaking about the Conservative debate on Local Government finance, which seeks to force the Scottish Government to set out how much income local authorities in Scotland would receive under Local Income Tax, Derek Brownlee MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth, said

"These are fundamentally important issues - about how £11.5 billion is allocated between councils.

“Our motion will help taxpayers across the country to come to a view on Local Income Tax not just as it affects them individually, or as a family, but how it would affect their local area.

“It will mean people in Edinburgh will know if the benefits of any Capital City Supplement given by one hand will be taken away by the other.

“It will mean those in the north east will see if the promises made to them by both SNP and Lib Dems on higher funding is delivered

“The people of Fife will be able to determine for themselves whether the predictions made by Fife Council's Director of Finance that

It could lead to reductions in some services, e.g. road maintenance, to fund pressures elsewhere, e.g. the care of the elderly.

would come to pass.

“I'm no fan of Local Income Tax. That's why I'm so pleased the Scottish Government looks likely to publish these details."