Four councillors failed to pay thousands in council tax

Four councillors in Scotland's largest local authority failed to pay thousands of pounds in council tax.

Glasgow City Council named the four elected officials who were in arrears as of 5 September, plus the sums they owed, in response to a freedom of information.

One of the councillors paid off his debt of almost £1,400 after the information was made public.

The others are now the subject of debt recovery and have since made payments to reduce their bills.

Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, described the situation as a "shameful scandal".

He added: "While councils run deficits and cut vital frontline services, a cabal of councillors are covertly avoiding council taxes and forcing locals to carry the burden.

"These councillors need to cough up or face the consequences."

The figures, originally obtained by the Mail on Sunday, showed that among those in arrears is Roza Salih - who is part of Glasgow City Council's SNP administration.

She made headlines in 2022 when she became the first refugee elected to the council, having campaigned for the rights of refugees since she was a teenager with the activist group the Glasgow Girls.

In May 2022 Roza Salih became the first refugee to be elected to Glasgow City Council

By September, the Kurdish councillor for Greater Pollok owed £1,210 in council tax.

Her bill for this financial year has now been settled.

She said: “This was an unfortunate oversight which has now been resolved.”

The list also features Greens councillor Blair Anderson.

The Partick East representative has been campaigning for a tax on visitors to Glasgow.

Figures show he owed £1,386 in council tax but he moved swiftly to clear the debt.

Mr Anderson said: "As soon as I was made aware of this issue, I immediately paid the outstanding amount, and I have now paid my council tax for the entire 2024-25 tax year in full."

Fellow Greens councillor for Southside Central Elaine Gallagher owed £1,540.

By 1 October she had reduced her total bill by £148.

Labour councillor Jill Pidgeon, who sits on the planning applications committee, arranged a repayment plan as she owed £2,249.

She said: "There is now £899 left to pay.

"I am paying in instalments, and it will be paid by January, the same as most citizens who pay by direct debit."