McLeish backs SNP over council tax benefit cash

SNP MSP Christine Grahame today welcomed the case made by Henry McLeish for Scotland to retain council tax benefit.  Speaking on Newsnight Scotland last night, after papers released under Freedom of Information showed the details of the dispute between Mr McLeish and Alistair Darling over Westminster’s decision to withhold attendance allowance following the introduction of free personal care, Mr McLeish said;

“I do support the SNP’s attempts to get that money from London because it really is the same position”.  He blamed the UK Government’s intransigence on “political opposition” and called for an “evolution of thinking at Westminster” with “more maturity”.

Christine Grahame, who revealed the discussions between the then Scottish Executive and the Department for Work and Pensions over Free Personal care said;

“Henry McLeish fought for the retention of attendance allowance in Scotland.  The decision of Alistair Darling to withhold that money was a purely political one and failed to understand the importance of Scotland’s devolved Parliament being able to make its own policy decisions.

"It also failed to understand that that money rightly and properly belongs with the Scottish people.

“It was a mistake then, and to do the same with the council tax benefit will be a mistake now. 

“The principle that should have applied to the transfer of attendance allowance money is the same one that must apply to the £400 million of council tax benefit Westminster is currently planning to withhold when Scotland introduces a fairer form of local taxation.

“I agree with Henry McLeish, Westminster should grow up and take a more mature attitude to the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament.”