SNP conference: Humza Yousaf announces Scottish council tax freeze

Council tax rates are to be frozen across Scotland, First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced.

The SNP leader made the announcement during his closing speech at his party’s conference in Aberdeen.

The Scottish government had previously proposed raising council tax rates by as much as 22.5% for homes in higher bands.

But Mr Yousaf has pledged they will remain at the current levels when councils set their budgets for 2024-25.

He described the proposed freeze as evidence of “the SNP delivering for people when they need it most”.

Mr Yousaf also said his government would spend an additional £300m on tackling NHS waiting lists in the next three years and raise arts and culture funding by £100m over the next five years.

The first minister, whose has family members are trapped in Gaza, called on the UK government to create a refugee resettlement scheme for those caught up in the conflict.

He said Scotland would be “willing to be the first country in the UK to offer safety and sanctuary to those caught up in these terrible attacks”.

He condemned the Hamas attack in Israel and the “collective punishment” of people in Gaza and called for the UK government to support medical evacuations of injured civilians from Gaza.

The tearful Mr Yousaf issued an emotional call for unity as he said there was “no room” for hatred of any kind in Scotland.

‘Roll up our sleeves’

Following the SNP’s heavy defeat to Labour in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, the first minister told party members they could “either spend time feeling sorry for ourselves”, or “roll up our sleeves and work harder than ever before for the people of Scotland”.

He urged delegates to unite behind the party’s independence strategy, based on winning a majority of seats at the next general election, to help build a “sustained majority” for Yes.

Other key announcements included plans to issue the first ever Scottish government bonds on the international bond market to raise funds for infrastructure projects, and plans to “anchor a new offshore wind supply chain” in Scotland with up to £500m in funding over five years – with the government aiming to ensure vital parts such as turbines are made at home instead of being imported from abroad.

The SNP leader said issuing the first ever Scottish government investment bonds by 2026 – subject to “due diligence and market testing” – would help enhance Scotland’s global standing.

“This will bring Scotland to the attention of investors across the world,” he said.

“We will also demonstrate the credibility to international markets that we will need when we become an international country.”

The first minister also announced a pilot scheme for £1,000 to be given to domestic abuse survivors fleeing their partners as part of a £500,000 “fund to leave” which will be distributed to Women’s Aid groups for pilot schemes in Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and Fife.

Mr Yousaf did not set out how the government would make up the budgetary shortfall for councils who would have raised taxes.

The levy generates about 13% of local government funding, with most of their cash coming from Holyrood funding.

The first minister said his government remained committed to reforming local taxation.

Mr Yousaf said the government will commit £400,000 to the redevelopment of Union Street in Aberdeen city centre, as well as supporting the Eden Project in Dundee, the Clyde Mission in Glasgow and improvement works in the St James Quarter in Edinburgh.

He pledged ministers will invest an extra £100m in each of the next three years to cut NHS waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients by 2026, when the next Holyrood election is scheduled to take place.

The number of patients on hospital waiting lists in Scotland has increased to 667,746, quarterly figures to June showed. That was up from almost 625,000 in February.