Humza Yousaf pledges to freeze council tax for Scots next year

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Humza Yousaf has pledged to freeze council tax for Scots next year, with the Scottish First Minister also announcing “ambitious” plans to issue bonds to help fund “vital” projects. I can announce to the people of Scotland that, next year, your council tax will be frozen First Minister Humza Yousaf But Mr Yousaf insisted the freeze was needed to help with “almost everybody in Scotland” left struggling in the “Westminster cost-of-living crisis”. “That’s the SNP delivering for people when they need it the most.” The announcement on both that, and the Scottish Government issued bonds, came in what was Mr Yousaf’s first keynote conference speech since succeeding Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish First Minister and SNP leader earlier this year. He added: “Suella Braverman’s most compassionate moment came when she stood on the tail of a guide dog at conference.” With the SNP having previously frozen council tax for several years after the party first came to power, Labour shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “Fresh out of ideas for 2023, Humza Yousaf seems to have reached for the SNP’s 2007 manifesto for inspiration – but after 16 years of broken promises Scots aren’t buying it any more.” Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie insisted it was an “unfunded tax cut” like those from previous Tory prime minister Liz Truss.