LAST week, Inverclyde’s Labour councillors voted to refuse a cash injection of £2.9m from the Scottish Government and instead raised the council tax by 8.2 per cent for 2024-25 and proposed a six per cent increase the year after.

It’s important to note that the offer of a £2.9m Scottish Government cash injection for Inverclyde was termed as baselined, which means it is repeated every year going forward.

Therefore, over the next five years that is £14.5m that could have come to Inverclyde. By turning down the Scottish Government, Inverclyde’s Labour-run council has decided it will be up to the hard-pressed, hard-working individuals of Inverclyde to come up with the money.

A couple of weeks ago these same Labour councillors were standing outside Stuart McMillan MSP’s office demanding more money from the Scottish Government.

The SNP group proposed a one-year budget with zero increase to council tax and no cuts to frontline services. This budget was scrutinised by council officers and deemed to be competent. Rather than push their own budget the SNP group backed the eminently sensible compromise that was put forward by independent Councillor Lynne Quinn, that the decision be delayed until, after the UK Government budget on March 6.

Then we would know exactly what the financial situation is. We already know that English councils received an extra £500m and through the Barnett consequential that the Scottish Government will receive an additional £45m, which I have confirmed in writing from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott MP.

The Fraser of Allander Institute estimate it could be as much as £48m. Inverclyde’s share of that can be used to help offset a zero increase in council tax if Inverclyde Council so wish.

Rather than wait and consider the best option with all the facts, Labour with two independent councillors pressed ahead, because they “didn’t trust the Conservative government”. Neither do I, but waiting six days to call their bluff was surely the considered thing to do.

Despite the intentions of Keir Starmer to not increase council tax, the Labour rebels empowered by their testosterone fuelled debating technique pressed ahead and won the day.

Then they approached the Scottish Government to ask if they could have the money as a rebate to pay back the people of Inverclyde after the people have paid the tax. This was not accepted.

If the local Labour administration had shown a morsel of respect for their political opponents, this debacle could have been avoided.