Rebecca Machin, the SNP candidate for the Highland Council by-election in Fort William and Ardnamurchan, has declared that: “Council tax must change; it must change now and it must change for the better.”
The former Head Teacher was speaking in response to reports in news outlets that people across Highland could be set for council tax bill rises of between 5-7%.
“It is really interesting to read articles recently focussing on council tax, both possible rises and also ways of reforming this outdated system,” she said.
“Council tax is so regressive that, as a percentage of property value, those in the poorest housing pay many times more than those in mansions.
“That is patently wrong and doubles down on the sense of injustice when coupled with the neglected state of some of our housing stock in areas of Fort William and Ardnamurchan.
“The former MSP, Andy Wightman, says 453 people own 50% of Scotland’s rural land.
“Huge landowners can, hypothetically, buy up tracks of land, for an hotel, or any house for sale and let them out – or not – and price locals out of the area.
“We have allowed control of the local economy to these latter day lairds.
“And while we all pay tax PAYE, they have accountants to help them avoid it.
“The former city trader, Gary Stevenson is entirely correct when he says, “if you are a normal working person you pay tax, it’s progressive for ordinary people and essentially optional for wealthy families.”
“Those wealthy families are still well represented in Westminster where, incidentally, they have one of the lowest rates of council tax in the whole of the UK.
“Enter, land taxes.
“At the SNP conference this year, the need for a land tax was passed by the membership.
“Obviously, as a councillor, this is not something I could deliver on my own,” Machin continues.
“But, right wing politicians (and now Labour) explain that raising taxes means that the rich would leave with all their money.
“But they could not leave with all their land.
“Without real changes about who owns the land we will never be able to adopt a genuinely decentralised form of government.
“We can’t afford it.
“Adam Smith believed land should be distributed widely and fairly.
“I would like us to live up to our intellectual inheritance and make Smith proud: Land reform is essential.
“Council tax reform is essential.
“It won’t happen quickly and it would require cross-party and inter-governmental collaboration.
“But the momentum for change is there and I would be proud to spearhead the efforts on behalf of Fort William and Ardnamurchan.”
