MSPs reject Green proposals to fix 'absurd' Council Tax system
Scottish Green proposals that would see the first Council Tax revaluation in over 30 years have been turned down by all other parties, despite Labour and Tory MSPs agreeing that the current system is ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’.
The proposals to the Housing (Scotland) Bill were lodged by Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer, who has long campaigned to reform Council Tax.
Council Tax rates are still based on property values from 1991, resulting in most people now being in the wrong band. Those in smaller, less valuable homes are often paying considerably more than they should, whilst the richest in larger properties pay far less than they would if accurate valuations were used.
Mr Greer’s proposals, lodged as amendments to the Housing Bill, were voted down by SNP, Labour and Conservative MSPs on Parliament’s Local Government and Housing Committee. This was despite Labour’s Housing spokesperson Mark Griffin agreeing during the debate that using 1991 properties values is ‘ridiculous’ and the Conservatives’ Meghan Gallagher and Graham Simpson describing it as ‘absurd’.
Mr Greer said:
"We wouldn’t tolerate a situation where most people pay the wrong rate of income tax, so why do all other parties think it's acceptable for Council Tax?
“Using property values from before I was even born means that low-income families in smaller houses typically pay more than they should, whilst the richest get off with an absolute steal.
“Every other party agrees this is wrong, but they just don’t want to upset the wealthiest people in Scotland, who would pay far more if the system was fixed.
“That’s the only reason for other MSPs to accept that the current situation is ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’, but then vote against fixing it.
“If we want to give our schools, care services, bin collections and road repairs the funding they desperately need, fixing the Council Tax is the bare minimum. I hope other parties will stop this hypocrisy and support Green proposals to deliver that fix in the future.”