THE SCOTTISH Greens have accused Labour of siding with the Tories over plans to scrap the so-called car park tax.
MSPs are due to vote on the Government’s Transport Bill tomorrow.
As part of their Budget agreement with the Greens, ministers in the minority SNP administration promised to legislate to allow councils to introduce a workplace parking levy.
It would then be up to employers on whether or not this would be passed on to their staff.
Labour have tabled an amendment that, if passed, will kill off the new charge.
Their transport spokesperson Colin Smyth described it as “an attack on workers” that would “hit the lowest paid hardest” and “do little to reduce congestion or reduce emissions”.
“Scottish Labour will stand up for workers and vote to scrap the tax on Wednesday.”
READ MORE: Greens: Work place car park levy in Scotland will save lives
However there was support for the levy yesterday from prominent former Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz.
He took to twitter to savage his old party for aligning themselves with the Tories.
In a tweet, Lazarowicz said: “A reminder that workplace parking levy has all party support. It is already happening in Labour-run Nottingham of course. In fact I think it was probably originally first proposed by Labour many years ago. I welcome successful @scotgp pressing @scotgov to introduce this.”
He added: “Of course it is only one small step in the right direction (for example, I disagree strongly with @scotgov massive road building programme) but I am sorry that @scottishlabour has now rejected that small step (and of course, aligned itself with the Tory campaign on this issue).”
The levy was introduced by Labour in England and Wales, successfully implemented by a Labour-controlled council in Nottingham and proposed in Labour’s council manifestos for Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The levy was first proposed in Holyrood by Donald Dewar in 1999, when the then first minister included it in the fledgling Parliament’s first Transport Bill. It was later dropped.
READ MORE: McGill's bus firm hits out at 'car-centric' policies of councils
Scottish Green transport spokesperson John Finnie said: “I find it perplexing that Labour would vote against its own policy, particularly when many of the party’s councillors back it.
“Local government finance is in need of reform, and it’s important that councils have the powers to introduce fund-raising initiatives which can also drive behaviour change to tackle the climate emergency.
“It seems Labour MSPs don’t trust their own councils to make such decisions.
“I hope that this week the Transport Bill can empower
councils to apply parking levies and take control of bus services as they see fit, based on local circumstances.”
Responding to Finnie’s comments a Labour spokesman said: “The Workplace Parking Levy has been sold as a new revenue stream to fund struggling public services – but in reality it will hit public sector budgets for £5 million that the simply don’t have, thanks to Tory austerity passed on by the SNP.
“Scottish Labour will stand up for public services and vote against the plans this week.”
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