After Wednesday’s budget in Perth and Kinross Council, where the SNP refused to match the Scottish Conservatives £600,000 fund for businesses who will still suffer massive increases under the SNP rates revaluation, it now appears that the SNP administration have u-turned and will be providing such a fund.
Pressure was put on Derek McKay yesterday in Holyrood by MSP’s asking why Perth and Kinross SNP administration had not provided such a fund. The Finance Minister after some deliberation, advised the chamber, that PKC would indeed match the Scottish Conservative proposal.
One wonders who was on the phone to Ian Miller yesterday morning ‘advising’ him to match the Scottish Conservatives. Could it have been Mr Swinney?
The Scottish conservative leader on Perth & Kinross council, Councillor Ian Campbell said:
“I am delighted we have once again shaken the SNP awake and shown them how a real administration would deal with the problems that arise and need to be deal with, swiftly and sensibly. This administration is tired and prone to mistakes as we saw at yesterday’s budget meeting. It’s time for change.”
Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“This latest U-turn from the SNP is highly embarrassing. I can only imagine the panicked look on the Finance Minister’s face when he realised that the SNP in Perth and Kinross had opposed our local rates relief scheme on Wednesday.
“It is time for proper leadership in Perth and Kinross, not an administration that doesn’t know whether to stick or twist unless party bosses in Edinburgh tell them so.”