THE leader of Scottish Labour has said he supports Humza Yousaf’s plans to freeze council tax.
Speaking to The Daily Record, Anas Sarwar said that he would back the council tax freeze for 2024/25 if it is “fully funded”.
He said: “Labour will always support measures to help reduce people's bills.
“We also have to accept that if it is not a funded council tax freeze, many of the services that the poorest people in our community rely on the most will be the ones that are cut.”
When pressed over whether this meant he backed a freeze or a cap of council tax, he added: “I back the freeze. I do back the freeze, but it has to be fully funded.”
During the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election campaign Labour’s winning candidate Michael Shanks criticised the SNP for proposing “increased council tax” during a cost-of-living crisis.
However, following Yousaf’s announcement of the freeze, Labour’s finance spokesperson at Renfrewshire council, Alison Ann-Dowling, said the freeze was “unacceptable”.
She told The Glasgow Times: “SNP councillors who support this shock announcement need to answer one question to the people of Renfrewshire – where is the money coming from?
“Because be in no doubt, jobs could be in the balance if the council doesn’t have enough money coming in to cover running costs.
“When council tax was frozen by the SNP the last time the wealthiest households saved three times the amount the poorest did, and it was paid for by putting up charges and cutting back services the most vulnerable relied on.
“That’s unacceptable at the best of times, never mind the worst cost-of-living crisis in generations, so I have serious concerns.”
The SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson welcomed Sarwar's statement.
"The SNP's council tax freeze is so popular it has actually persuaded Labour in Scotland to back a policy for once - despite Labour councils voting to oppose the freeze and various Labour politicians attacking the SNP since the announcement," he said.
“It was also a key Labour pledge in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election just weeks ago that they tried to forget the moment the polls closed.
"Freezing council tax will benefit every single household in Scotland, putting money directly into people’s pockets to help support them through the Westminster cost of living crisis.
"The SNP Government is working every day to protect the people of Scotland from cruel Tory Westminster policies, the majority of which Labour have committed to continuing.
"Scotland's best future is independence, not mitigating Westminster policies. Independent countries like Scotland are wealthier and fairer than the UK - so the question is, why not Scotland?"
Keir Starmer has previously said he would use profits from an extended windfall tax to freeze council tax in England for one year.
The First Minister said he will “make sure” local councils are funded for the freeze.
