Edinburgh council is in line to become the latest town hall to defy John Swinney’s call for council tax rises to be limited.
The Labour-led local authority is believed to be considering a rise of eight per cent to protect services.Swinney said in a recent interview that his Government’s draft budget is positive for councils and means big rises are not needed.
Asked if 10 per cent is too high, he said: "I think it is, yes." He added: "I don't think that's necessary, to be honest."East Lothian council is considering a 10.6 per cent hike and it is understood Edinburgh is mulling over 8 per cent.Senior figures in Glasgow council have discussed a five per cent rise.
In a recent interview, Swinney has talked up his funding deal for councils: "I think if you had a quiet conversation with council leaders where they were not being bound by certain things, they would say to you, 'We got a better settlement than we thought we were going to get'."I think that's the case.
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