Disingenuous Liberal Democrats

As an amendment to motion S2M-03290 in the name of Tommy Sheridan (Disingenuous Liberal Democrats), leave out from “Liberal Democrat Group” to end and insert “Scottish Socialist Party to maintain a constant description of its own policies; notes that when Tommy Sheridan submitted his Bill proposal it was entitled Proposed Abolition of Council Tax (Scotland) Bill; notes that Mr Sheridan wrote to the Sunday Herald on 9 November 2003 to suggest that the bill itself would establish the principle of the replacement of the council tax with an income-based alternative, rather than a particular scheme; notes, however, that when the Bill was eventually published the preceding remarks were found to be disingenuous as the Bill includes, from its first section to its last, an explicit commitment to introducing a Scottish service tax set by central government, a proposal which merits 104 lines in the Bill compared to just nine for the abolition of the council tax; considers that the Bill, dominated as it is by the introduction of a Scottish service tax, does not match the promises made prior to its introduction; further notes the failure of the Scottish Socialist Party to provide substitutes to be present at the Local Government and Transport Committee meetings in Mr Sheridan’s absence during consideration of tendering of ferry services in the Clyde and Hebrides, the Licensing (Scotland) Bill or to hear evidence on local authority audits, and acknowledges the ongoing and consistent position of the Liberal Democrats on the need to replace the council tax with a local income tax.”