John Swinney refuses to confirm if SNP will repeat council tax freeze
dailyrecord.co.ukJohn Swinney has refused to say if the Scottish Government will seek to freeze council tax next year. The First Minister promised local authority leaders he would have "an open and candid conversation" with them as part of the budget process.
He insisted Finance Secretary Shona Robison would also be involved in "substantive engagement on the budget process" with the country's councils.
Local government leaders had been angered when Mr Swinney's predecessor, former first minister Humza Yousaf, had announced he wanted to freeze council tax charges across Scotland in 2024-25 without first consulting with them.
While the freeze was eventually implemented, the move soured relationships between the Scottish Government and local authorities.Mr Swinney however was keen to tell council leaders that he wants to see "effective collaboration and partnership with local government in Scotland".
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