Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
IT'S TIME TO SCRAP THE COUNCIL TAX COMPLETELY SAY SNP CANDIDATES
SNP candidates for Central Buchan Sandy Stronach and Norma Thomson have criticised the latest announcement from the Labour Party as discriminating against rural pensioners.
Labour's panicked response to growing anger against the Council Tax by saying they could lower water and sewerage rates for pensioners is set to discriminate against people living in the country.
SNP candidates for the largely rural ward of Central Buchan were quick to point out than a great many people in rural areas have their own water supplies and septic tanks and so will not benefit from this move to reduce the council tax burden. Instead, they have backed the SNP policy of scrapping the council tax and replacing it with local income tax, which will be of great benefit to all pensioners.
Sandy Stronach commented:
"To say that all households pay water and sewerage charges is patent nonsense. The point of Labour's proposed reduction in water charges is to make the council tax look better because the two charges are collected together.
"But if you live in the country and maintain your own water supply and pay for your own septic tank maintenance and emptying, then you are not going to benefit from any reduction in water charges.
"The move is ill-thought out and actually discriminates against those living in the countryside."
Norma Thomson added:
"Council tax is a huge issue on the doorstep and I am finding that people are very supportive of the SNP proposal to scrap the council tax completely and replace it with local income tax.
"Local services have to be paid for, but the council tax is not the way. It has increased 60% since Labour and their Lib Dem allies came to power but the state pension or peoples' incomes have certainly not increased by the same amount.
"It's time for a fairer method of payment for our local government services and that means it's time for the council tax to go."
