HUMZA Yousaf has taken aim at Anas Sarwar for failing to “stand up to his colleagues” amid a row over council tax.
It comes after Stephen McCabe, the Scottish Labour councillor serving as the leader of Inverclyde Council, said at a meeting on Thursday that he had told his party higher-ups that he would make the decision, “not them”.
McCabe wrote to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove asking him to pass funding from Barnett consequentials directly to councils, bypassing Holyrood.
We told on Thursday night how councillors in Inverclyde voted to increase council tax by more than 8% despite a Scottish Government freeze.
Writing on Twitter/X, Yousaf said: “How will Anas Sarwar stand up to Starmer when he can’t even stand up to his colleagues boasting about ignoring him?
“Astonishing that Labour will raise council tax in the midst of a cost of living crisis, despite assurances of receiving funding equivalent to cost of the rise.”
McCabe had told a full council meeting on Thursday: “I stand up to my party. I got phone calls saying we shouldn’t be raising council tax, but I told my party leadership we make the decisions, not them.”
The increase was slammed by the Alba Party, who said the move would harm struggling families amid the cost of living crisis.
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The party’s general secretary Chris McEleny said: “This is a tone deaf decision by the Labour Party that will raid family pockets and much needed disposable income for the local economy during a cost of living crisis.
Ahead of the vote, Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison said she “could not understand the rationale” of Labour councillors to “impose such a hefty increase in council tax on the people of Inverclyde as it leaves Inverclyde Council no better off financially in 2024/25.”
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