INVERCLYDE’S council leader has offered the Scottish Government a ‘compromise’ which would see council tax frozen next year – just one day after his administration voted to raise rates by 8.2 per cent.

The proposal follows a crunch meeting on Thursday night which saw Inverclyde Council become the second local authority to reject plans for a national council tax freeze in 2024/25.

The local authority leader has now told Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison that he would be prepared to recommend that Inverclyde households receive a one-off rebate on their 2024/25 council tax charge if the Scottish Government guarantees recurring funds for the council.

Councillor McCabe said: “I have reflected on the discussions at the full council yesterday and the desire expressed by many of my fellow councillors that Inverclyde residents should benefit from the funding on offer from the Scottish Government for a council tax freeze.

“I have therefore written today to the deputy first minister proposing a way in which this can be achieved.

“If the government is willing to make this funding available on a recurring basis, baselined into the local government settlement for 2024/25 and beyond, I would be prepared to recommend to the council that we use the funding for 2024/25 to provide Inverclyde households with a one-off rebate on their council tax charge for 2024/25, which would mean that Inverclyde residents would receive a freeze in their Council Tax for 2024/25 in line with the First Minister’s national policy priority.

“This, I believe, offers a win-win-win for all concerned.

“The Scottish Government gets its national council tax freeze, Inverclyde households benefit from a local council tax freeze, and the council receives the benefit of a stronger council tax base.

“The compromise I have suggested is eminently reasonable.”

The deputy first minister had pledged in a letter she sent to Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan earlier this week that ‘around £2.9m’ would be available to Inverclyde Council if they implemented a council tax freeze.

This figure is the sum of Inverclyde Council’s share of the £147m Holyrood set aside for a council tax freeze and the further £62.7m from UK Government Barnett consequential for social care in England.

Labour councillors claimed at Thursday’s meeting that, despite Ms Robison’s statement, the extra UK Government cash was not guaranteed and pressed ahead with plans to raise local rates.

The Telegraph has contacted the Scottish Government for comment.