JUST how costly will Tory run councils in Scotland be if they get the chance to run councils this May?

It’s a question many should ask considering the history of Tories and taxes. They may claim they are for low taxes but recent behaviour shows they say one thing to get votes and another once safely elected.

In the 2010 election they promised VAT wouldn’t increase. Less than two months later they increased VAT to 20%. They also introduced a pasty tax, a granny tax, a caravan tax and a bedroom tax – none of which was indicated in their plans for Government before they were elected.

But their latest wheeze to talk down Scotland is to claim that it’s more expensive than England. Really?

Council tax in Scotland hasn’t increased since 2007. In England it has increased by 21%. In Tory run Surrey council they threatened to increase it a whopping 18% subject to a local vote. The cap on council tax increases in England is nearly 5%. In Scotland it is 3%. And let’s not forget that it was the Tory-led Moray council that proposed increasing council tax by 15% last year. At no point did the Tories say before they were elected that they would bring in such increases.

In Scotland since the SNP came to office prescription charges were cut since and then abolished in 2011. In that time prescription charges in England have increased from £6.65 in 2006-07 to £8.40 in 2016-17 - a 26% increase.

In Scotland tuition fees have been abolished. People don’t pay for learning. In England they are at £9,000 a year. A 200% increase since the SNP came to office.

There is a clear patter. Just like they think they can do anything to Scotland and get away with it the Tories think they can con the voters by pretending they’ll lower taxes when experience shows they will increase them when they get elected. People have an opportunity this May to show them they aren’t taking taken in by their fraudulent pitch.

CONCERNED,

Cowdenbeath.