A load of baloney!

I see that SNP List MSP Stuart McMillan is at it again today in his column in The Greenock Telegraph.

Our Stuart claims that opposition parties want the Council Tax freeze ended so that "they can start to charge householders even more money for local services". What a load of baloney!

The reality is that Councillors from across the political spectrum - including SNP Councillors - know that the Council Tax freeze is not sustainable. This is a view backed by the Scottish Government's own Independent Budget Review.

The debate is whether it ends in 2011/12 - just before the Scottish Parliament Election - or in 2012/13 i.e. it is not a matter of if but a matter of when. There are no prizes for guessing why Stuart and his SNP colleagues would like another year of the freeze.

Far from wanting to charge more for services, those who are calling for an end to the freeze believe this is necessary so that Councils can sustain services that they would otherwise have to cut or stop altogether.

While Stuart might want to play the blame game, those of us who have a real job and real responsibility are having to deal with a financial crisis. If Stuart is under any illusion about the extent of this crisis perhaps he should have a word with the SNP Councillors who voted for a two year pay freeze for local government workers at the CoSLA Leaders' meeting today, arguing that the choice was between a pay increase and cuts in jobs and services.

Equally there is a choice between a Council Tax freeze and cuts in jobs and services.

Those, like Stuart, who argue for a continuation of the Council Tax freeze have a duty to tell us what jobs and services we should be cutting to pay for it.

I won't hold my breath.