GOOD NEWS AS COUNCIL TAX FREEZE ON CARDS FOR BANFF & BUCHAN

SNP BUDGET CAN SAVE £142 FOR ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL TAX PAYERS

SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan Eilidh Whiteford has welcomed the result of the Scottish Parliamentary vote on the Scottish budget as a huge victory for the people of Scotland, and especially for Banff & Buchan as it secured funding to give Aberdeenshire Council the means to freeze Council Tax for the third year in a row.

With the budget now passed, local authorities will receive funding to freeze the local Council Tax again. This equals an average saving for Aberdeenshire Council Tax payers of £142 for each payer - a significant sum to help families in the present difficult economic circumstances.

Welcoming the budget, Eilidh Whiteford said:

"In these tough times this is good news for Banff & Buchan. With many people facing tighter household budgets as Labour's recession bites this sum will go some way to help them in these times. £142 is a saving that will help people in these times.

"Council Tax is an unfair tax and I am glad that the SNP Government has taken this action. Council Tax increased by a staggering 93% in Aberdeenshire before the SNP came to Government and we are taking the action to ensure that unfairness is being mitigated."

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson added:

"The SNP is committed to scrapping the unfair council tax – a position which is yet to carry majority support in the Scottish Parliament – and replacing it with a fair local income tax based on the ability to pay.

"People and organisations across Scotland support the SNP's plans to make local taxation fairer and this year's election affords people the chance to reiterate their desire to abolish this unfair tax and replace it with one based on ability to pay."