THE Tories have accused the SNP of breaking a manifesto pledge after Renfrewshire Council hiked council tax by 4.79 per cent. 

The decision from the minority administration has enraged Maurice Golden MSP and Councillor James MacLaren, leader of the Conservative group, who took aim at the SNP’s 2017 manifesto. 

In the document, the party said it would “endeavour to keep the council tax as low as possible”.

However, Mr Golden accused fellow MSP Derek Mackay and his party of breaking that pledge.

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The MSP for West Scotland said: “The SNP made a commitment that would see council tax rises limited to three per cent, but that has now been ripped up in order to get the support of the Greens in the Scottish Parliament.

“At the same time, these rises are being taken as a result of their failing to give councils like Renfrewshire a fair funding deal.

“Derek Mackay made a big deal at the launch of their local manifesto in 2017 that council tax would be kept as low as possible, yet now Renfrewshire residents face rises of almost five per cent.

“That is a clear broken promise of manifesto pledges made to voters in Renfrewshire only two years ago, so I would call on Derek Mackay to say whether he backs SNP councillors increasing council tax by the maximum amount.”

Councillor MacLaren added: “Last week’s budget will hammer residents across Renfrewshire and do nothing to grow the local economy.

“The SNP fought a campaign locally in 2017 based on keeping council tax as low as possible, yet now have decided to u-turn on that by increasing bills by almost 5 per cent.

“It is completely unacceptable that they have chosen to pass on tax rises to local residents and they have certainly not endeavoured to keep it as low as possible.”

Mr Mackay hit back and claimed the pair were deflecting because Tory councillors had voted for 4.79 per cent rises in East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Argyll and Bute, and Aberdeen.

The MSP for Renfrewshire North and West said: “This is a desperate attempt by the Tories to deflect from the fact that they are quietly voting for maximum council tax increases in councils across Scotland.

“In government the SNP have done more than any other party in the UK to keep council tax bills down – we led the way with a fully funded ten-year council tax freeze and are ensuring that rises in Scotland next year are lower than in Tory-run England. 

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“Thanks to our approach, average council tax bills in Scotland are £400 a year lower in Scotland than south of the border.

“Local authorities are receiving a real terms increase, but if the Tories had got their way during the Scottish Budget we would have £500 million less to spend on Scotland’s public services – that would mean less money coming to Renfrewshire Council, not more.”

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