SNP PUBLISH FIGURES BASED ON LABOUR’S RECORD

For immediate use: Monday 4^th October 2010
Attn: NEWSDESKS
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS
LABOUR’S COUNCIL TAX CASH GRAB TO HIT ORDINARY FAMILIES

Council tax could increase by almost 20% if Labour’s plans to stop the SNP’s council tax freeze come into force says SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick – a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee.

The SNP today released figures which show how much Labour would take from Scottish households if they applied the same cap in Scotland as they did earlier this year in England.. In March this year Gordon Brown’s Government announced a cap of 4.5%. Applying this over a four year Parliamentary term would see the average council tax increase by a cumulative total of 19.3%.

The SNP also published a reminder of council tax increases under Labour administrations from 1999 to 2007 demonstrating the Labour’s record in power with rises of over 60%.

Commenting Mr FitzPatrick said:

“These figures show how far Labour will go to make ordinary people pay for the mess they made of the economy.
“We all know the unfair council tax hits the poorest and pensioners hardest yet instead of helping people through the tough times Labour want them to pay for the tough times.
“If Labour is allowed to get away with this, as they did in England, households will see increases of around £200 in the coming years.
 “Under the SNP Scottish households have had a well earned respite from this unfair tax with bills frozen for three years.  And we want to continue with that freeze. 
“The choice facing voters at the next election is between an SNP Government working hard to keep household bills down and to deliver an alternative to the cuts ahead and a Labour party that wants to make the public pay for their mistakes.
   
ENDS