SNP "spun into a mess" over Dundee Council Budget, says Finance Convener

Dundee City Council Convener of Finance Cllr Fraser Macpherson today (12th February 2006) said the Dundee SNP had spun itself into a mess over the decision by the City Council to postpone the setting of the 2006/07 Council Tax until Monday 13th February.

Speaking on today's "Tay Talk In" on Radio Tay AM, Fraser pointed out that the Liberal Democrat/Labour administration decided to move deferral until Monday to enable all options to be investigated to ensure Dundee Council Taxpayers get the best possible budget. He further pointed out that, on Thursday, the SNP opposition had criticised the move to defer the meeting, but by the following day, it was attempting to claim the credit for the decision.

"The SNP position is a case of "spin out of control" - imagine saying the opposite on Friday to what you said on Thursday," commented Fraser. "It simply underlines the mess the SNP is in - witness their wild claims that they were the challengers to Labour at the Dunfermline by-election last Thursday, when the reality was that they were running a dismal third."

Fraser also pointed out that SNP savings proposals submitted as part of the budget process showed them proposing a higher Council Tax than the Liberal Democrat/Labour administration.

In a joint statement with the City Council Leader issued today (12th February 2006), Fraser said,

"It has been our priority as an Administration to keep any rises in the council tax as low as possible while continuing to provide council services to people who rely on them throughout the city.

"Over the last five years, the cumulative council tax rise in Dundee has been the third lowest of the all 32 councils in Scotland. During this time the gap between the council tax in Dundee and our neighbouring local government areas has been steadily reducing.

"We have achieved this by managing the council's budget so that efficiencies and savings of over £20 million have been made during this period.

"We are looking to increase the efficiency of the city council on a rolling basis and the administration moved to postpone the budget debate last Thursday so that we could take stock before setting the council tax figure for the next year.

"The Administration will deliver a balanced budget that will continue to provide good efficient public services to the council tax payer and a budget that will be good for the city as a whole."