REVEALED: PFI TO COST NORTH LANARKSHIRE £27.37m in 2025/26  

LABOUR AND TORY INCOMPETENCE TO BLAME FOR COUNCIL TAX HIKES AS 18.8% OF COUNCIL TAX INTAKE SPENT ON PFI 

Labour and the Tories’ disastrous PFI (Private Finance Initiative) and PPP (Public Private Partnership) schemes are expected to cost North Lanarkshire residents £27.37m in 2025/26.  

PFI/PPP is a model of funding public projects where private businesses build public infrastructure like schools, hospitals and roads, and the public then pay a monthly charge to those businesses for the cost of the build and services. 

However – the scheme has caused significant problems in Scotland, as the public continue to pay for projects, as private businesses make substantial profit – in some cases paying above the odds for subpar infrastructure.  

The SNP scrapped the scheme after coming to power, replacing it with the Non-Profit Distribution model, which capped private profits at 5%. 

New analysis has shown that a shocking 18.8% of North Lanarkshire’s Council tax intake was spent on PFI/PPP in 2023/24. 

As Council’s across Scotland implement difficult decisions on Council Tax, local MSP Fulton MacGregor has highlighted the continued cost of the Labour and Tory PFI scheme to local taxpayers. 

Commenting, local MSP Fulton MacGregor said:  

“We’ve known for quite some time now that PFI/PPP is costing the public an unnecessary amount of money – £26.05M in 2023/24, a shocking 18.8% of the Council tax intake in the same year – and predicted to go up to £27.37 next year.  

“That is why the SNP scrapped it after coming to power – but these contracts are still in place – costing the Scottish public over half a billion pounds this year. 

“To make matters worse – rumours are circulating that UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves could be set to reintroduce PFI across the UK.  
 
“We know that public finances are stretched as it is, with Council Tax rates set to rise this year due to the scandal that is PFI – don’t let Labour make it even worse.”