Mr Yousaf also used his first conference speech as party leader to make a series of domestic policy announcements. Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images
Humza Yousaf announced a council tax freeze to help Scots cope with the cost of living crisis.
Making a keynote speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, the First Minister said, that he rejected the proposal, bills in the four largest council tax bands would have risen by 7.5% to 22.5% above normal annual growth.
He argued that his party was «bringing value to people when they need it most» but did not rule out another income tax hike for the middle class.
Mr Yousaf also used his first conference speech in as party leader to make a series of domestic policy announcements in an attempt to revive his ailing government.
He hopes a council tax freeze will help reverse the sharp decline in the party's ratings since he replaced Nicola Sturgeon in March. It will come into force next April, a month before a possible general election.
But the freeze has triggered the first major political rift between the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Greens since they signed the power-sharing deal.< /p>
Ross Greer, the Greens' finance spokesman, warned the move could hit «already strained frontline public services» and said social care, schools and early years education centers «must not lose out».
👇 @HumzaYousaf sets out our vision for independence on #SNP23:
🇪🇺 Scotland back in the heart of Europe
🏴ResultSResultSfootballPROResultSmile The end of an undemocratic House of Lords
👷♀️ Protecting workers' rights and the right to strike
📜 The Constitution obliges our NHS to be free when necessary pic.twitter.com/NQP9gL9B9v
— SNP (@theSNP) October 17, 2023
The announcement also appears to contradict the «no surprises» clause in the power-sharing agreement between the two sides. Mr Yousaf's spokesman admitted the Greens were only informed of the freeze on Tuesday morning.
The three-day conference was sparsely attended and there were many empty seats during his speech, despite it took place in a smaller hall compared to Ms Sturgeon's years in office.
Mr Yousaf tried to escape. Boosted his beleaguered party after it was defeated in by-elections in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, which saw the vote swing to Labor by more than 20 percentage points.
He said: “We can either spend time for self-pity. Or we can go the other way. Let me tell you what it is. We will roll up our sleeves and work harder than ever before for the people of Scotland.»
Bowing to widespread calls for higher council taxes on band E, F, G and H properties to be scrapped, Mr Yousaf said: “Council tax bills in Scotland are already hundreds of pounds a year lower than in England.
«We are committed to fundamentally reforming local taxation, and we are intensifying our efforts to do so. What. We discussed what council tax should be next year. And the conference, we made a decision.”
He added: “I can announce to the people of Scotland that next year your council tax will be frozen. This is the SNP helping people when they need it most.»
Mr Yusuf was joined by his wife Nadia El-Nakla whose parents are currently stuck in the Gaza Strip. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
Since the SNP came to power in 2007, council tax rates have been either frozen completely or capped at three per cent. However, this policy ended last year and local authorities were allowed freedom to set higher rises.
The council's public body, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), has made it clear that it was not consulted about the announcement, but the spokesman said, “We just heard.”
He added, “We didn't know about it in advance. This has long-term implications for all councils across the country, at a time when we know there are acute financial pressures and as we collectively consider all options for raising local revenue.»
Although she did not attend her speech, Mr Yousaf also paid tribute to his predecessor and said: “Nicola Sturgeon changed Scotland. She reformed Scotland's public services.
»She improved the life chances of thousands of young people in Scotland. And we will never forget that during the most difficult times our country has faced, Nikola was the calmest of voices and the coolest of heads. So for all this and much more we say thank you, Nikola.”
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