Council tax hike for Dumfries & Galloway

Councillors have voted for a three per cent council tax rise in Dumfries and Galloway.

The council's Labour administration says it proposed the increase in order to close a £16m funding gap and wants to ring fence the income raised for education.

Councillors backed the Labour budget by 29 votes to 16 at a meeting in Dumfries today.

Protestors gathered outside the meeting to raise concerns about social care spending.

Lesley Jeffrey is a parent carer and is protesting with the Right to a Real Life Campaign. The group is against the amount of income allowance that people under 60 can keep before charges. Campaign supporters say they want to see more money invested in social care.

The council's SNP group welcomed money earmarked in the budget for tackling poverty but criticised the Labour administration over unspent money.