AN SNP move to freeze council tax in Inverclyde this year has been slammed by the local authority's Labour leader as a 'pre-election bribe' which will be of little benefit to local people.

Stephen McCabe says the Scottish Government is 'putting a gun to the head of the council' with an offer of extra cash so long as it agrees not to increase the local levy by three per cent as planned.

Councillor McCabe today hit out at the deal offered by finance secretary Kate Forbes in her budget announcement to the Scottish Parliament last week.

He told the Telegraph: "Why can't they for once respect the democratic mandate of councils and allow us to make our own decisions on council tax?

"If the Tory UK Government was to insist that the Scottish Government freeze the Scottish rates of income tax in return for funding the SNP would be rightly outraged.

"The proposed freeze in council tax should be seen for what it is: a pre-election bribe that will only be of marginal benefit to families in Inverclyde.

"A quarter of households in Inverclyde would not pay any additional council tax if it was raised by three per cent, as they qualify for council tax reduction, and the remaining three quarters would pay weekly increases of between 43p and £1.88."

In a letter to Cllr McCabe, MSP Stuart McMillan, has called on him to accept the one-off funding.

Mr McMillan stated it would 'help council tax payers through what will be a challenging social and economic period ahead'.

Mr McCabe responded to the SNP man by stating: "Can you not stop the petty politicking even in the middle of a pandemic Stuart?

"Your time would be better spent lobbying your government for a better deal for councils, including actually providing recurring funding for any council tax freeze rather than one-off funding that would have to be made up with a bigger council tax rise the following year."

The council announced last December its intention to increase the local levy by three per cent in each of the next two financial years in order to plug a funding gap of around £2m.

SNP councillor Chris McEleny has welcomed the Scottish Government's move.

Mr McEleny said: "Coronavirus has fundamentally changed how we value public services.

"There is a growing consensus that now is the time to be putting more investment into vital essential services.

"The council tax is already a system that is not fit for purpose, but it certainly wasn't designed to meet unprecedented challenges such as the recovery from Covid-19.

"When it comes to investing in our economy, health and social care and essential services to meet the demands coronavirus has made of them, this is something that requires huge national investment.

"Finance secretary Kate Forbes has listened to those of us who called for a freeze in council tax this year, and I very much welcome her decision to put in place the financial support to fund a freeze this year."

Councillor McCabe said: "I am disappointed that once again the SNP Scottish Government is putting a gun to the heads of councils by only offering additional funding if we agree to freeze the council tax.

"The council will be lobbying the government through COSLA over the coming weeks for additional funding to be made available to councils without any strings so that we can take our own decisions on council tax, protect jobs and services and provide our committed workforce with a decent pay increase."