Download current newsletter
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RECORD OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
In early 2003, following consultation among several people who had written to The Herald newspaper criticizing Council Tax, it was decided to start a campaign to press for the replacement of Council Tax by a fair tax more closely related to ability to pay. Originally called AACT (Action Against Council Tax), the campaign shortly affiliated to the UK-wide Isitfair campaign under the name of SAACT (Scottish Action Against Council Tax).
Following the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary Election, contact was made with all political party leaders and others within the Scottish Parliament to ascertain their policies on local taxation. It was established that 61 MSPs (out of 129) were members of parties which had policies opposed to Council Tax.
| Oct. 2003 | A Scottish Petition and a standard letter to The First Minister were drafted. Also drafted were the contents of the Scottish section of the Isitfair website. |
| Nov. 2003 |
Inaugural Meeting held in Perth.
Article on 'SAACT.isitfair' published in the 'Hamilton Advertiser', with an extremely supportive letter published the following week. |
| Dec. 2003 | Two SAACT supporters interviewed on Lanarkshire TV. Members Organised to flood 'The Herald' with letters to the editor- which led to a meeting with the local government correspondent of 'The Herald'.
SAACT supporter Alastair Murdoch, was invited to appear (live) on BBC Radio Scotland's 'The Lesley Riddoch Show'. |
| Jan. 2004 | Excellent coverage of SAACT Campaign published (on six pages) of 'The Herald'.
SAACT (recorded) interview coverage on BBC2 TV ('Newsnight') |
| Feb. 2004 | SAACT (recorded) interview on STV's 'Scotland Today'.
Interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland's 'Sunday Live'. Interviewed for STV's 'Politics Now'. Participated in BBC Radio Scotland's 'The Lesley Riddoch Show'. SAACT members petitioned for a full day - obtaining 500 signatures. SGM held in Perth - to plan the forthcoming March/Rally. |
| March 2004 | Meeting with the Royal British Legion Scotland - to obtain endorsement of SAACT Petition to The Scottish Parliament.
SAACT supporters joined the SSP Anti-Council Tax March/Rally in Glasgow. |
| May 2004 | Meeting with the Scottish Pensioners' Association - in Edinburgh.
SAACT.isitfair Rally/March in Edinburgh. |
| Oct. 2004 | Submitted response to the consultation paper on the "Abolition of Council Tax (Scotland) Bill" - proposed by the SSP.
Requested all SAACT supporters to write to: their MP/MSP and the European Parliament (to support Tony Constable's initiative). |
| Nov. 2004 | Petition (with 2,300 signatures) lodged at The Scottish Parliament - and later, three members presented the petition to the Public Petitions Committee. |
| March 2005 | Submitted response to the consultation paper from the Local Government Finance Review Committee. (Burt Committee) |
| Apr. 2005 | Supported the National Pensioners Convention (Scotland) Rally in Edinburgh. |
| Feb. 2006 | Supported the SSP Anti-Council Tax March/Rally in Edinburgh. |
| May 2006 | A full meeting open to all SAACT supporters decided to establish a SAACT General Purposes Committee to conduct day-to-day business. (There are currently about 150 people on SAACT's mailing lists, but meetings open to all members have never been attended by more than 16 people, no doubt due to geographical distribution and other commitments. Much business can be conducted by post and e-mail.) |
| Sept 2006 | First SAACT Newsletter issued. Our intention is to issue Newsletters at approximately monthly intervals. Copies are distributed to those on our mailing list, the 129 MSPs, and others on an ad hoc basis. |
| Nov. 2006 | Publication of the Burt Report (Local Government Finance Review Committee, chaired by Sir Peter Burt). Our appraisal of the Burt Committee Report is given in a special edition of the SAACT Newsletter (see Newsletter Archives section). |
| March 2007 | SAACT Website established (separate from our sections on the Isitfair Website).
Publication of Lyons Inquiry Report into Local Government (chaired by Sir Michael Lyons). This report does not directly apply to Scotland, but will be of interest to those involved in the campaign against Council Tax. |
| May 2007 | Scottish Parliamentary elections resulted in a Scottish National Party minority government and a collective majority of seats for the anti-Council Tax parties. BBC1 TV Programme "Reporting Scotland" included a 10-minute section on Council Tax. SAACT supporters Jim and Regina Feeney were interviewed as representatives of a pensioner couple who suffered adversely from Council Tax. A younger working couple were also interviewed. An edited version of this programme was featured on BBC Radio Scotland. |
| March 2008 | Public Consultation on the abolition of council tax in Scotland launched, entitled "A Fairer Local Tax for Scotland". Consultation document published. |
Throughout this period, SAACT supporters have lobbied MSPs, MPs and Councillors, and have written to local and national newspapers.