Tom Griffin (London, OK): The Scottish Government revealed its legislative programme for the next year today. The centre-piece was Alex Salmond's announcement of "abolition of the oppressive council tax in favour of a fair local income tax, bringing much needed relief to household budgets."
Over at Conservativehome, Tory MSP Derek Brownlee raises a number of searching about the assumptions behind the SNP plan for a local income tax rate of 3p in the pound.
One obstacle is the £400 million which the UK government currently spends on council tax benefit in Scotland. Interestingly, The Herald reports that the Labour-affiliated trade union Unison has called for council tax benefit to be devolved in its submission to the Calman Commission on devolution.
There does seem to be a growing consensus in Scotland that Westminster's control of council benefit should not become a block on reform of local government taxation.
There's much less agreement over whether the Scottish Government's model is the right way forward. As Brownlee notes, the SNP will have to win broader support if the bill is to get through Holyrood. The key is likely to be the position of the Lib Dems, who support a local income tax, but insist that the rate should be set locally rather than in Edinburgh as the SNP wants.
