Friday 28 September 2012

Labour's proposed Council Tax rise

So, when Johann Lamont raised her bugle to her lips and sounded the clarion call for the people to rally to her flag she talked about ending the Council Tax freeze.  Let's play with numbers:

The money allocated by the Scottish Government to fund the council tax freeze is £420 million this year.  Council tax brings in about £2 billion a year.  That means that just to cover the money that the Scottish Government currently provides to fund the freeze councils would have to raise Council Tax by 21%.

But that's not all, of course, because she's talking about Scotland's councils needing more money - money that she thinks they can raise from the Council Tax - on top of the 21% rise just to pay for ending the freeze.  25% jump in one year, maybe?  30%?

I think Johann Lamont should be telling us just how big a Council Tax rise she's planning.

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