Labour propose to cap powers of councils; what's needed is fiscal freedom
Responding to proposals by Labour to replace the council tax with a property tax capped at £3,000, Andy Wightman, Local Government spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for Lothian, said:
"While we welcome Labour’s contribution to the debate on how to replace the discredited council tax, we question their £3,000 cap for owners of high value properties. It's also concerning to see Labour proposing to cap the powers of councils to set the rate of property tax when what councils need is greater fiscal freedom to strengthen local democracy and accountability.
"We need a fairer system of funding for our local services, and that must include up to date evaluations of property values. The Scottish Greens look forward to publishing our own proposals for replacing council tax next week.”