Stephen asks SNP to partner them

Reluctant Hero · Stephen asks SNP to partner them

After flatly refusing to enter into coalition negotiations with the SNP, Nicol Stephen today asked the SNP to partner him in trying to scrap the council tax.

Alex Salmond must still be laughing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7272964.stm

Stephen makes partner plea to SNP

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen has urged the Scottish Government to work with his party to scrap council tax.
Mr Stephen said it was time to team up with the Scottish National Party to bring in a local income tax.

He was speaking at the Scottish Lib Dems spring conference, the first since the party lost power in May last year.

Mr Stephen also outlined his vision for more powers for Holyrood and hit out at the Nationalists' record in power.

During his speech on Saturday afternoon he announced a series of groups to look at issues from energy needs to constitutional matters.

The Lib Dems and SNP both want a local income tax, but have disagreed on some of the detail on how to go forward.

Throwing down a challenge to First Minister Alex Salmond, Mr Stephen told delegates in Aviemore: "If you are serious about a local income tax, work with us.

"Bring together now, in good faith, those in Scotland who want to see the council tax scrapped and replaced by a local income tax."

He added: "When you find that the poorest pensioners pay six times as much of their income in council tax as the richest people, you know that something has gone very wrong with fairness in Scotland."

However, if a deal could be struck, the two parties' votes in the Scottish Parliament would still fall short of the majority needed to make the policy a reality.

Wave energy

The former Scottish deputy first minister, whose party served in coalition with Labour for the first eight years of devolution, also attacked "obscene" power companies whose profits rose along with the costs of electricity.

The National Grid, Mr Stephen claimed, had failed to understand the needs of renewable energy.

He went on to give his backing to plans for an offshore supergrid and announced a new energy commission, advised by Richard Yemm, who created the Pelamis wave energy generation scheme in Scotland.

Mr Stephen told the Lib Dem party faithful: "Isn't irony rich when the National Grid, the very organisation that should be creating the new supergrid, that gets fined £42m this week, not for cutting corners to do things fast, but for deliberately blocking new technology, like smart metres that can reduce energy costs in every household - that is obscene.

As the main challengers in Scotland the last time, we can deliver a crushing blow to Labour next time

Nicol Stephen
Scottish Lib Dems leader

"It is obscene that when power prices go up six times the rate of inflation, power companies' profits go up 500%. The companies that should be making the big profits are Scotland's renewable energy companies."

Mr Stephen went on to place a high priority on the Holyrood-sanctioned commission on Scotland's constitutional future, announcing that the Steel Commission, headed by Lib Dem veteran Sir David Steel, would be reformed to create pressure for change.

Amid concern over detention without trial, DNA retention and ID cards, the Scottish Lib Dem leader also announced his own "stop and search hit squad" to keep an eye on any laws brought forward by the UK Government which would "erode civil liberties".

Mr Stephen said another new group would look at ways of encouraging young people to get involved with communities and politics.

Lord Steel will draw up his party's plans for constitutional reform

And he said the Lib Dems' had set a goal of doubling the number of poorest children going into further education, while finding ways to strengthen vocational skills.

Turning to his political rivals, Mr Stephen hit out at the pro-union Conservatives, claiming they had sided with the Nationalists, adding: "The Scottish Tories got hitched to the SNP and walked away from their promises before the election."

And he said of his former government partners: "As the main challengers in Scotland the last time, we can deliver a crushing blow to Labour next time.

"At Holyrood, they are simply unable to comprehend the position they are in - shell-shocked and shattered. No ideas and no impact."

'The Sun King'

Mr Stephen wondered if the SNP, since coming to power at Holyrood, had become "a little too full of themselves".

He told delegates: "Did you know they have tabled not one but two motions in not one but two parliaments, entitled 'god bless the SNP government'."

Mr Stephen asked: "And what of the Sun King? The first minister?

"He has surrounded himself with adoration and is blessed with a dutiful array of courtiers.

"They constantly commission opinion polls that have all the scientific rigour of Hans Christian Anderson."

The Lithgae Jambo · Re: Stephen asks SNP to partner them

Reluctant Hero

Des Browne has chipped in saying that if the SNP change to a local income tax, then it will lose £400m funding from Westminster.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7273755.stm

UK to retain council tax benefit

The Scottish Government's plans to scrap council tax will mean the loss of hundreds of millions of pounds in benefits, UK ministers have said.
The SNP administration's plans had banked on retaining the £400m a year rebate from Westminster.

And Holyrood ministers' aim for a local income tax could not be brought in until 2011, BBC Scotland has learned.

SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney said it was clear the council tax benefits belonged to Scotland.

UK Scottish Secretary Des Browne questioned why the Scottish Government would need to retain the cash if they had found a "fairer" alternative to council tax.

'Scotland's money'

He told BBC Scotland's Politics Show: "If you have a benefit that is paid to an individual to balance the effects of their inability to be able to pay tax and that tax is taken away, then the benefit has to go as well."

A spokesman for Mr Swinney said: "The council tax benefit is Scotland's money, plain and simple.

"It is part and parcel of the system of locally raised tax to help fund local government services, and of course, the money should be retained in Scotland."

Meanwhile, it emerged that the earliest that local income tax could replace council tax would be just before the next Holyrood election, according to a senior government source.

The Scottish Government - which provided funding for a council tax freeze across the country - is soon to publish its consultation on the local income tax.

The Liberal Democrats support the change, but disagree with the SNP over some of the detail of the policy.

And there is still not enough support in the Scottish Parliament to push it through.

Aventinian

Isn't that what parties are supposed to do anyway, at least where a minority government exists - work together to secure approval of common policies? The idea that Nicol Stephen should have to make a big deal about it seems rather odd.

I also agree with Des Browne - there's no need for funds to provide benefits based on the inability to pay council tax if the system itself is supposed to be 'fair' enough to allow anyone to pay.

William_Cleland

I suspect the Lib Dems were not impressed by Gordon Brown's recent posturing about claiming back powers from Holyrood and are finally realising that they usually have more in common with the SNP than Labour in terms of policies. They probably expected that the SNP would quickly self-destruct when handed the reins of power given they tend to see the SNP along much the same lines as Agentmancuso's oft repeated paranoid delusions and prejudices about the SNP's brand of civic nationalism. Now they realize that isn't going to happen and that without a share of power they are fast losing their relevance as a four party system is probably one too many over the long haul in a Holyrood context.

Aventinian

RadgeJougal

Aventinian

William_Cleland

Lochaber

Lochaber

kingkev

The idea that Alex Salmond
{THE GOV.} 47 MSP'S SHOULD JOIN NICOL'S LIB-DEM'S 16 MSP'S is laughable he must still think he`s in power,
Now if he wants to support it then he would be welcome by the SNP,but first he should learn he is NOT in power now he had his chance last may,he prefered to sulk,snipe, snear and support the other oposition,to hinder the scottish gov in all its trying to do. He`s got no creditability and I dont trust him one bit.

Aventinian

Aventinian

George

To 'Aventinian'
Posters who post smart arsed and often abusive comments should desist from doing so if receiving the same in response so upsets them.

I also find the attempts at intimidating other posters into not making comments to be no more than bullying.

Feel free though to remind us of your belief in your own superiority, it serves only to heighten the pleasure of seeing you repeatedly fall.

To 'Lochaber'
Don't be intimidated by this person, few of us are. Take what he says about himself with a huge pinch of salt.

Lochaber

doodells · Re: Stephen asks SNP to partner them

Cheers for the article RH

[quote="Reluctant Hero"]

Turning to his political rivals, Mr Stephen hit out at the pro-union Conservatives, claiming they had sided with the Nationalists, adding:

"The Scottish Tories got hitched to the SNP and walked away from their promises before the election."

Is that not what they are doing now? Siding with the Nationalists?

"At Holyrood, they (labour) are simply unable to comprehend the position they are in - shell-shocked and shattered. No ideas and no impact."

Spot on Mr Stephen[/b]

Aventinian

William_Cleland

Holebender

Reluctant Hero · End of council tax getting closer

Looks like talks have taken place between the SNP and the Lib Dems over scrapping the council tax.

The real work may prove to be trying to get another two votes, to get a majority for it to pass through parliament.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7285326.stm

Talks over scrapping council tax

Talks have taken place between the Scottish Government and the Liberal Democrats over scrapping the council tax in favour of a local income tax.
The top level meeting, which took place at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, has been described as "constructive".

The SNP is committed to replacing the council tax with a local income tax set at 3p.

Further detailed talks are expected to take place on Monday, ahead of the publication of a consultation document.

First Minister Alex Salmond and Finance Secretary John Swinney met Lib Dem leader Nicol Stephen and Lib Dem finance spokesman Tavish Scott.

Tax options

It came just days after Mr Stephen challenged the first minister to enter into talks.

The Conservatives branded the talks a waste of time and called for reform of the council tax.

Labour said the government's plans simply did not add up.

The SNP favour a centrally set local income tax, while the Lib Dems want it set at a local level.

Reports suggest a compromise may be being considered to propose a centrally set tax which could evolve to have responsibility passed to local authorities.

A deal between the SNP and Lib Dems would still leave the government two votes short of a majority of 65 MSPs in the parliament.

This could come from the Green Party, but they support a land value tax.

Reluctant Hero

And who is going to collect this new tax?

HM Revenue & Customs aren't too keen on the idea.

Maybe Salmond should look at setting up Scotland's equivalent of Revenue & Customs to collect the tax. Then when independence comes, it will be well placed to collect PAYE etc as well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7285326.stm

Stephen asks SNP to partner them

Re: Stephen asks SNP to partner them

Re: Stephen asks SNP to partner them

End of council tax getting closer