Householders across South Lanarkshire have once again been spared a hike in their council tax, after MSPs endorsed the Scottish Government’s £70 million funding package to compensate local authorities for freezing the tax.

This is the third year in a row that Finance Secretary John Swinney has secured agreement from all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities to freeze council tax. This year’s freeze means that South Lanarkshire households have saved an average of £237 in council tax payments since the SNP came to power.

Christina McKelvie MSP has welcomed the latest freeze. The SNP MSP for Central Scotland said:

“I am delighted that South Lanarkshire householders will once again have the peace of mind of knowing that they will not be faced with a hike in their council tax bills. Freezing council tax for the third year in a row will ease the stress for household struggling with their finances just now.

“The partnership that the SNP government has forged with Scotland’s local authorities, including South Lanarkshire Council, to keep council tax rates down is helping people in a very real way. The £237 that the average South Lanarkshire household is saving as a result of the council tax freeze is money going back into pockets at a time when it has been badly needed.

“It has the additional benefit of boosting spending power within the South Lanarkshire economy, helping to support jobs and businesses.

“Labour in South Lanarkshire opposed this freeze – they would prefer to land South Lanarkshire households with a substantial hike in their council tax bills, wile they are still suffering from the effects of Gordon Brown’s recession. In contrast, the SNP is investing to help South Lanarkshire folk through this recession and strengthen the economic recovery of communities across Scotland.”