Moray SNP News

MORAY SET TO BE SHORT-CHANGED BY OVER £5 MILLION DUE TO TORY ‘SMOKE AND MIRRORS’

Moray is set to be short-changed by over £5.07m due to Tory smoke and mirrors over support for those struggling with the cost of living, equating to £117 per household in the area.

Tory Chancellor revealed he would be providing Scotland with an additional £290m to help with the cost of household council tax bills.

However, Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has revealed that there is no additional money Scotland to help low-income families pay their council tax.

In a letter to Holyrood’s Finance committee Ms. Forbes reveals the Scottish Government was expecting to receive £852m from the Treasury but will instead receive £814m. Meaning the Scottish Government will have to find funds from elsewhere in its budget to cover help people in Moray pay their council tax bills.

Commenting, Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said:

“It is scandalous they have tried to pull the wool over the eyes of people in Moray by claiming they would be providing extra cash to deal with the cost of living crisis, but instead are short-changing Moray by over £5m and households by £117 each.

"Rishi Sunak made a huge song and dance about how Westminster was being generous to Scotland when the truth is that they have provided nothing extra at all.

"And again, the Scottish Government has to make good on another broken Tory promise by finding funds from its limited budget to help out hard-pressed families by cutting £150 off their council tax bills.

“This is real cash to deal with the cost of living crisis, not Tory smoke and mirrors. This trend is all too familiar to people in Scotland – when it comes to the Tories, all we get is cuts, not cash.”