Thursday, October 14, 2010

‘East Coast Weasel’ Labour MSP Iain Gray won’t campaign for Council tax freeze as it isn’t a vote winner, Holyrood 2011 is about explaining pain




















Dear All

It can’t have escaped your notice that the Scottish public has benefited from year on year Council tax freezes.

Is it sustainable post Holyrood 2011?

I would say no, whoever forms the next Holyrood Government, the money should be diverted elsewhere.

Scotland is probably heading for a double dip recession which I have been predicting for sometime, with unemployment rising and the jobs market about to be flooded by ex public sector workers, trouble is brewing on the horizon.

To continue with the Council tax freeze is to put up with an artificial bubble that must burst sooner or later.

Better to do it now and let the situation right itself.

Council services need to be reformed and the Council tax freeze doesn’t nudge Councils down the service reform road.

They are taking the easy road of job losses.

At present £70 million pounds is provided to allow for a freeze right across Scotland but the Labour Party under the leadership of the ‘East Coast Weasel’ Labour MSP Iain Gray has recently confirmed his party would allow local authorities to end the current cap to raise additional revenue.

There are going to be budget cuts so the £70 million should be used to shore up community groups helping the vulnerable.

To not do so is naïve.

There is another reason, if Labour Councils are allowed to increase Council bills, then voters will start to seriously question whether or not they are getting value for money.

In 2012, there are Council elections and getting control of local government is the key to changing the Labour heartlands.

Yes, it is the issue of the Central Scotland Question again.

I want the Council tax freeze to end; I want the money diverted to community groups helping the vulnerable because the budget cuts will be savage and deep.

And people always remember who was there helping them in time of need.

The Council tax freeze has had its day, it’s over; it won’t bring any party the votes it needs to form the next Holyrood Government.

Anyone who thinks it will is simple naïve and deluded.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

1 comment:

NMD said...

Yes and the second dip is going to make a lot of people sick,

Still when you have the SNP and Labour , in fact all of them ,
more interested in how they look in the Herald than running the country what can one expect?

We used to be run by one Secretary of State and 6 civil servants( a slight exaggeration) for about 50 quid , we no have more mps msps meps councillors and NOTHING happening.

I have more democracy and less influence

The roads are like the Somme , but as long as we have plenty or slogans that will make it better

This is a jobs for the boys culture that needs to end NOW

Scrap Hollyrood and turn it into a hotel, its halfway there

Rant over