Iain Gray: ‘Labour not opposed to council tax freeze’

Labour’s Holyrood leader Iain Gray has created confusion over his party’s stance on council tax by admitting that Labour are not opposed to the idea of a freeze.

The man who will next year vie with Alex Salmond for the role of First Minister of Scotland appeared to support a national freeze in principle arguing only that it needed to be funded properly.

In an unimpressive interview that would have worried party aids Mr Gray also appeared to undermine recent comments from his health spokesperson Jackie Baillie by backing the SNP policy of removing prescription charges.

The leader of Labour’s Holyrood group was speaking on Radio Scotland yesterday when he was asked about his party’s stance in many areas including council tax and prescription charges.

On the council tax freeze Mr Gray revealed: “We’ve never been opposed to the idea of a council tax freeze…”

Mr Gray added: “A national freeze has to be properly funded, if that’s not the case then the consequences will be serious.”

The admission from the Labour leader that his party has no objection in principle to a freeze is at odds with recent comments from senior Scottish Labour figures who have attacked the SNP’s proposed freeze saying that it is undemocratic and benefits the rich.

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