Scotland's council tax is broken, and the system of local taxation needs to be fixed to make it fairer, according to the Daily Record's opinion column. The paper argues that Greens leader Ross Greer is right to demand radical reform as a condition of supporting First Minister John Swinney in his bid to shake up local government.
Outdated Valuations and a Regressive Structure
The fundamental flaw lies in the tax's outdated valuations, which rely on property prices from 1991, when economic realities were vastly different. Because the bands have never been fundamentally updated, the relationship between a property's tax rate and its market value has collapsed.
The tax is structured so that the burden flattens as property values rise. Households in the lowest Band A pay a significantly higher percentage of their property's value in tax than those living in Band H mansions. For low-income families, who already spend a larger share of their earnings on essentials like food, this creates an unmanageable financial burden.
Regional Inequalities and the Case for Reform
The tax also worsens regional inequalities. High-value property wealth has skyrocketed in Scotland's major cities, yet the tax fails to capture this accumulation of wealth. Instead, it relies on a flat-rate squeeze of ordinary citizens to fund vital local amenities like schools, roads and social care, meaning those with the least pay proportionally more.
Replacing the council tax entirely, as the Greens want, may be a step too far and cause widespread chaos. But the paper argues it needs to be fixed so that those in expensive homes pay more, while low-income households are given a breather.
Wes Knows Best
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has faced criticism for the Labour Government's Be Ready campaign, which encourages people to keep a stash of food, water and essentials in case of emergencies. The Tories say this is scaremongering, but the Record View argues that taking precautions to look after ourselves and our families in tempestuous times is sensible.
The campaign is not about terrifying the public or causing panic buying, nor is it about preparing for a nuclear holocaust. It is about having essentials in case of emergencies, such as a major weather event or an internet outage. As a rule, the paper would normally suggest doing the opposite of what the Tories say, but in this case, it says it is vital to ignore them.
