LABOUR HYPOCRISY OVER COUNCIL TAX FREEZE

LABOUR HYPOCRISY OVER COUNCIL TAX FREEZE

The SNP have rounded on Labour hypocrisy over the council tax freeze.

While Labour call for council tax hikes in Scotland – in London all eight Labour-run local authorities are set to freeze council tax next year as reports say the party plans to pinch SNP policy in an attempt to avoid wipe-out.

SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP said:

“They say imitation is the sincerest for of flattery, but in this case it is just Labour hypocrisy.

“Labour’s double standards know no bounds – the party want to end the council tax freeze in Scotland just as they plan to introduce this SNP policy in London in an attempt to avoid electoral wipe-out.

“Labour have been playing catch up with the Scottish Government all week – from their u-turn on hospital car parking charges and plans for free personal care, to Gordon Brown’s embarrassing reverse on constitutional referendums. Issue by issue Iain Gray’s hollow opposition to SNP action is being undermined by his own party.

“Labour’s plans in London show how the Scottish Government has put Scotland ahead of the rest of the UK in tackling the economic downturn by acting quickly to bring forward measures to give businesses and households a helping hand.

“With more powers, we could do so much more. The current downturn underlines the urgent need for Scotland to be given the full economic powers of an independent nation.”