Scottish Labour demands a £100 cut to water charges to ease cost of living

Scottish Labour has called for every household in Scotland to receive a £100 rebate on their water charges.

A number of Labour MSPs made the case in a Scottish Parliament debate last week on cost of living, as part of a package of measures to ease the intense squeeze on household budgets.

Glasgow MSP, Pam Duncan-Glancy, moved that Scottish Water should issue the rebate alongside other measures to help hard pressed households including a targeted fuel costs payment, a three-month cut to ScotRail fares, and a top up to the Welfare Fund. She argued: “This is an emergency. We need more action now.”

West Scotland MSP, Paul O’Kane, accused the SNP government of nodding through water price and rail fares rises. He argued: “While Scottish families are choosing between heating and eating, Government-owned Scottish Water and its subsidiaries are sitting on a cash mountain of more than £500m. Scottish Labour’s amendment demands that that cash mountain is used to deliver a rebate of £100 to every household on their water charges.”