Lib Dems condemn FM for tearing up Verity House agreement over council tax freeze

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today condemned First Minister Humza Yousaf for breaking the Verity House agreement "with the ink of his signature barely dry" and called for him to apologise

The Verity House agreement was signed between the Scottish Government and CoSLA, the representative body for local authorities on 30 June 2023 and purported to set out a "vision for a more collaborative approach to delivering our shared priorities for the people of Scotland".

Following the First Minister's announcement of a Council tax freeze next year, local government spokesperson and leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats group on CoSLA, Cllr Peter Barrett said:

“With the ink of his signature barely dry, Humza Yousaf has broken his word to abide by the Verity House Agreement and the European Charter of Local Government.

"This is a shocking way to treat local government. The First Minister has chosen a short-term stunt for political gain over the long-term sustainability of essential services.  Councils up and down the country have been starved of essential funds by the Scottish Government. We are at breaking point. We have repeatedly been told that there is no more money.

“We need an apology and from Humza Yousaf for treating local government with contempt and riding roughshod over the Verity House agreement. I will be pressing CoSLA political group leaders and council leaders to demand an urgent meeting with the First Minister.”