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Talks held on council tax freeze SNP 'determined' over tax freeze
(about 15 hours later)
The Scottish Government is to hold new talks over freezing council tax levels. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the Scottish Government was determined to freeze council tax.
Finance Secretary John Swinney is hoping to hammer out a deal with local government leaders ahead of next week's Holyrood budget. The commitment came as the SNP administration was holding talks with local authority group Cosla on the issue, ahead of next week's budget.
The SNP's election pledge for a national freeze on council tax bills needs all 32 local authorities to agree for it to happen. The party's election pledge for a freeze on council tax bills needs the agreement of the 32 local authorities.
In exchange for their help, Mr Swinney is promising councils more money and more freedom to choose how its spent. Ms Sturgeon, under pressure from opposition MSPs, also insisted the policy was fully costed.
He is set to meet bosses from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla). During question time at Holyrood, Tory leader Annabel Goldie demanded to know if the planned freeze was a "government guaranteed pledge" or "a vague aspiration, full of ifs and buts and maybes".
The finance secretary hopes to persuade them to recommend a tax freeze to member councils. Under the last government council tax went up by 60% Nicola SturgeonDeputy First Minister
Mr Swinney met council leaders throughout the summer to try to gain support for the plans. She asked: "Is the SNP pledge fully costed? How is it deliverable by government? In other words how is it guaranteed at all?"
The Nationalists pledged to freeze council tax rates prior to bringing in a new local income tax system. But Ms Sturgeon, standing in for First Minister Alex Salmond, said the government was "determined to freeze council tax".
"Under the last government council tax went up by 60%," she told MSPs.
"I think the people of Scotland have had enough of council tax rises under Labour and the Liberals, that's why they want to see this government freeze council tax."
In exchange for council support for a freeze, Finance Secretary John Swinney is to promise them more money and more freedom to choose how it is spent.
Cutting cloth
Labour public services spokesman Andy Kerr asked for a guarantee that councils were not left out of pocket in meeting SNP policies such as free school meals, smaller class sizes and extra support for carers.
"Or will it be the case that local government is left to pick up the bill for these uncosted, ill-thought through pledges?" he asked.
Ms Sturgeon responded by quoting former Labour first minister Jack McConnell when he said during the election campaign that other services would have to "cut their cloth" to pay for Labour education policies.
"What that would have meant is cuts in health, cuts in police, cuts in social work services for older people and, no doubt, another massive Labour hike in council tax," she said.
The Nationalists have also pledged to abolish council tax and bring in a new local income tax system, a move which currently lacks support in the Holyrood chamber.