Argyll and Bute’s SNP MP and MSP have called on the council’s Tory/Lib Dem/Ind administration to resign, after its "deeply embarrassing" U-turn on a 10 per cent council tax hike.
Brendan O’Hara MP said: "Such was the backlash, they were forced to go cap-in-hand to the Scottish Government, where they accepted exactly the deal they were offered originally. No matter how they try to spin this change of heart, this is a humiliating U-turn.
"The fact the Tories and the LibDems were prepared to put the people of Argyll and Bute through this worry at a time of real financial hardship, shows they are unfit to lead this council and their position is now untenable.”
The leader of the council’s ruling Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Group (TALIG), Conservative Cowal councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “We took very tough decisions last month to protect jobs and services in our communities.
"We had good negotiations and have secured funding to support the impact of the severe weather, in addition to money which was contingent on a council tax freeze. That additional funding is hugely important and the spring budget included £1.1million."
Jenni Minto, Argyll and Bute MSP, added: “This support is not contingent on the council tax freeze, so any attempt to link it to the freeze is the most transparent attempt at face-saving imaginable.
“Whilst this is a great win for the people of Argyll and Bute, it could not have made things clearer that they deserve better than this current administration.”
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