COUNCIL tax rates will be frozen in Inverclyde for the next year after elected members voted unanimously to access extra funding offered up by the Scottish Government. Leader Stephen McCabe said he reluctantly tabled a motion to keep bills static, as he slammed ministers for undermining the role of local authorities to set their own tax levels. It means the annual Band D bill - used as the general measure of council tax - will remain at £1,331. Finance secretary Kate Forbes offered to hand councils an extra £90m in funding in her draft budget last month, providing they froze council tax for 2021/22.
The UK Treasury has been examining options to spur the development of Britain’s financial technology industry after Brexit as the City of London faces a growing challenge from European Union rivals.