Council tax - your views online

SNP proposals to freeze lower-band Edinburgh council tax rates 'ruled unlawful'

Scott Renachowski

The whole band system needs to be updated before any such proposal are put in action. Anyone living/renting in a small 'new build' is automatically subject to higher council tax bands due to the valuation of the new build property, where the massive increase in property values over the years has not been reflected in council tax bands, resulting in properties of similar value to 'newer' builds having a much lower council tax band, which is just not representative across the board for council tax band levels.

Stephen Brown

Very badly needs reform.

Ian Strang

It shouldn’t be how much the property is valued at. People in “affordable houses” are banded as E, which is high despite them not being able to afford to buy. It should be based on income, not on how much the property was worth in 1991.

Toni Edwards

So they’d freeze lower bands. What about the low income people in bands D and E who are already worse off, even though on the same income?

Darren Lee

The SNP Government did this back in 2017/18! After ring-fencing a huge amount of council funding, they underfunded councils and froze one of their only income levers of Council Tax for years. They put CT up by double figures for E-H band properties and promised “hundreds of millions to be invested in better education”. How's that panning out? Where are the better community investments and futures we were promised? Just another anti-aspirational idea that's repeated every few years on our race to the gutter.

Kyle Robertson

The alternative is increases for everyone.

Carol Winton

Should not be penalised for being able to afford an expensive home. We have a band system so that should be kept, everyone else pays what they can. It would not affect me but is still not fair.

Kyle Danko

'Staggering level of incompetence' should be the SNP's new slogan.

Hospital costs

Cost of Livingston treatment centre 'more than doubles' and Edinburgh's new eye hospital up too

Gareth Hamilton

Would rather be able to see properly than get a tram down Leith Walk. Need to start spending money in the right places.

Craig Ferguson

Who gave the original estimates? Were they unrealistic in the first place or kept low to try to get the projects approved?

Gus Stewart

The existing eye pavilion sees thousands of patients a year. I'm in there at least three times a year and get excellent treatment. Lothian health bosses have decided that rather than upgrade, it will build a new facility at Little France. The existing facilities will be in use until the new building is constructed.

Kate Brown

Whoever pays for it a new eye hospital is desperately needed. And even more desperate, we need the nurses, ophthalmologists and admin staff to run it efficiently. The current system is not coping at all, everyone is working their socks off and still everything is delayed. I have to have injections in both eyes regularly or I will go blind. These injections are never on time (nine weeks instead of six, for example). It's almost impossible to get a face to face appointment to talk to a consultant. I and a lot more people in a worse state than me are in despair.

Peter Anderson

How many people’s lives will an eye pavilion enrich? Get rid of the tram and all the other vanity projects. Spend money that will enrich most peoples lives.

SNP leadership

Edinburgh MSP Joanna Cherry says Nicola Sturgeon an 'amazing' politician who has left SNP with headache

Aitor Gonzalo

Choosing a new FM with radical religious views, against equality, against gay marriage, against abortion. What a disaster! Please let’s have elections again!

Kelvin Kennedy

Nobody in the Scottish government can cope or hide from from immorality!

Margaret Gillies

Kate Forbes is young but William Pitt was 24 when he became Prime Minister.

Robert Muir

That explains why they ain’t queuing up to take over and give that “final push” they claim is all that is required.

Mark Cameron

It’s easy to sit and snipe from the sidelines isn’t it, Joanna! Don’t see you stepping forward - thanks goodness.

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