Council Tax freeze decision made 'with a gun against our heads' - angry council leader claims

Members of the full council today agreed to retain council tax rates at the current level for the financial year 2021/22.

The move comes after the Scottish Government’s cabinet secretary, Kate Forbes, offered local authorities a share of an additional £90m to compensate those that chose to freeze the financial levy.

The decision is certain to come as a huge relief to Borderers struggling to cope amid he impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But there are concerns at the long-term implications of the council accepting its £1.955m and its impact on providing services in the longer term.

Council leader and Conservative representative for Tweeddale East, Councillor Shona Haslam, delivered a scathing attack on the government-driven move at this morning’s meeting via video link.

She said: “Councils have been left in an impossible situation on this council tax freeze. The government said either accept it or we will cut your funding. They threatened the council, through Cosla (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), that if they did not accept the council tax freeze they would reduce the amount of funding available to councils.

"We are being forced to accept this freeze with a gun against our heads, this is nothing more than an election bribe from a government that is mired in corruption and sleaze.

"The public has to be aware that this freeze sounds great in the short-term but has significant long-term consequences.

"The Scottish Government has said they will not baseline this money for next year. In other words they won’t match this funding, so next year we will be three per cent down even before we start to develop our budgets. This could lead to bigger cuts and a bigger rise in council tax next year, perhaps as much as six per cent.

"I reluctantly, hesitantly, begrudingly, accept this report and its recommendation. I do so with both hands tied behind my back and a gun to my head. I appeal to the public not to be fooled by this election bribe.”

The SNP’s Heather Anderson, who represents Tweeddale West, condemned the council leader’s use of language and demanded a retraction from her.

She said: “The Scottish government has supported this council to allow them not to increase the council tax by three per cent, by compensating the council for that loss of income.

"I am a bit disturbed by the violence of the language used by the leader of the council, who used the phrase ‘with a gun to our heads’ three times and I would like her to withdraw that remark.

"As leader of the council she has often commented on language and threatening behaviour and I just think that was completely unsuitable and unacceptable when what is happening is we are protecting the people of the Borders from an increase in their council tax.”

Each council tax band will now be as follows:Band A: £835.94

Band B: £975.26

Band C: £1,114.58

Band D: £1,253.91

Band E: £2,037.60

Band G: £2,455.77