Council tax rebate is copy of Tory plan – Sarwar

The SNP’s policy of a £150 council tax rebate to help with the cost of living crisis is a copy of the Conservatives’ plan, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said.

He clashed with Nicola Sturgeon over the government’s policies to address rising energy bills during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.

Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government was acting within its own powers to help ease pressure on households as quickly as possible.

Mr Sarwar said the government’s £150 council tax rebate could have been applied in a more progressive way.

He said: “Had the SNP followed just one of our proposals, those most in need would have been receiving £400 directly into their bank accounts.

“But instead, the SNP flagship cost of living policy is to copy the Tory policy and provide £150 through the council tax rebate.

“A policy that the Poverty Alliance has called ‘misguided, a missed opportunity and deeply disappointing’.”

He said SNP MPs had repeatedly refused to back a windfall tax on oil and gas companies during a Westminster debate yesterday.

However, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP’s motion in the debate called for a windfall tax on all companies, including those in the oil and gas sector.

Discussing the £150 rebate, she said: “Because of the limited powers and limited control over the data around this that we have, we’ve done it in a way that gets help to people as quickly as possible, rather than it taking months and months and months.

“Of course, where we hold the power we are doing so much more.

“We are doubling the Scottish Child Payment for example, helping lowest-income families with children.”