ALL of Scotland's local authorities look set to adopt the Scottish Government's council tax freeze, after a council which previously agreed to a 10% increase confirmed it was "reconsidering".
Argyll and Bute Council leader Robin Currie said he will advocate for the freeze at a special meeting next month following a series of “positive talks” with the Scottish Government.
Along with Inverclyde Council, the local authority initially defied the Scottish Government’s freeze.
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison (below), who is also in charge of Scotland’s finances, previously said councils who raised council tax would not receive a share of the additional £62.7 million in extra funding.
The council's turnaround comes as Argyll and Bute said it has been given “extra assistance” to deal with the impact of severe weather support.
Currie said: “We can now look at freezing council tax for the coming year.
“We have been lobbying hard for equal support for Argyll and Bute which reflects the incredibly severe impact of unprecedented severe weather in October last year.
“We made a very strong case for that to the Scottish Government at a meeting we asked for in January this year.
READ MORE: Prestwick Airport 'cuts of Israeli Air Force access' after backlash
“We have continued to press ministers ever since on a range of other issues. We are of course delighted that they have listened to our calls for severe weather support and that they have now provided for Argyll and Bute that extra assistance that we are fighting for.”
The council states additional funding totalling around £6.26m means the overall financial circumstances are improved.
That included £2.3m for the impact of severe weather in October and £1.1m for Argyll and Bute through the additional £62.7m if it agrees the freeze.
It would also see the council receive £2.86m through the share of £147m funding for a freeze.
Currie added: “We see this as acknowledgement of a number of significant issues.
READ MORE: Owen Jones meets Humza Yousaf - Gaza, Keir Starmer, Scottish independence and more
“It is recognition of the unique challenges that Argyll and Bute faces, which we fight for at every possible opportunity.
“It reinforces the important role of local government.
“And it supports what has been our priority all along – protecting vital local jobs and services.
“I will be recommending that we freeze council tax for this year at a special meeting of the council.”
'Deeply frustrating'
The Inverclyde Council rise would have seen an 8.2% rise this year and 6% the following year.
However, on Tuesday council leader Stephen McCabe said he was "reluctantly" recommending that the council reverse its decision.
He wrote to Robison to state he would use the additional funding to offer a council tax rebate to Inverclyde residents, amounting to a freeze.
McCabe said it was “deeply frustrating” that the Scottish Government would not give Inverclyde a share of the funding, worth £2.9m, unless it froze council tax.
He said those funds would have been better spent protecting local services.
“It is clear however that you will not allow the people of Inverclyde to benefit from the £2.9m of funding unless the council agrees to the terms,” McCabe said.
READ MORE: Top Labour MP praises Margaret Thatcher for overseeing 'national renewal'
“I can advise therefore that reluctantly, and subject to you providing written confirmation that our share of the £147.3m council tax freeze grant and the additional £62.7m negotiated by Cosla is not less than the total of £2.9m you have repeatedly stated, I will recommend to the Policy and Resources Committee at the next available opportunity that we make a one-off credit to council taxpayers to fully mitigate the impact of the 8.2% increase in council tax approved for 2024-25.
“I will also recommend to the committee an amended planning assumption for the 2025/26 provisional budget based on the 2023/24 council tax baseline being the start point.”
The reversal from both Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute councils is subject to a vote being passed.
The Deputy First Minister said: “I am pleased that Argyll & Bute and Inverclyde councils have signalled their intentions for council tax in 2024-25.
“If the councils proceed with these decisions, council tax will effectively be frozen across the whole of Scotland, with households in 31 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities having a simple freeze in their council tax next year, and those in Inverclyde receiving a one-off rebate to reverse the impact of their 8.2% increase.
“This will directly benefit people in every part of Scotland during an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.”
SNP MSP Willie Coffey, who sits on Holyrood’s Local Government Committee, said: "The SNP promised to freeze council tax for every household in Scotland - and we will fulfil that promise.
"The fully funded council tax freeze, alongside policies such as the game-changing Scottish Child Payment, ensures that thousands of pounds are put back into the pockets of hard working families in Scotland.
"Freezing council tax will benefit every single household in Scotland, helping to support people through the Westminster cost of living crisis.
"The SNP Government is working tirelessly to protect the people of Scotland from cruel Westminster policies."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here