Councillors battled over business rates in the fish processing sector in a heated meeting in Aberdeen yesterday.
The ruling Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent coalition wanted to Scottish Government to extend current relief into next year.
But the opposition SNP and Liberal Democrat groups said the council itself should put forward £1million of rates relief for the beleaguered sector.
SNP councillor John Cooke said the fish processing sector needs “action not gesture politics”.
“What the fish processing needs is certainty. If you pass the amendment the fish processing industry will have a degree of certainty.
“If you pass the buck to the Scottish Government they won’t have that.”
But Conservative council co-leader Douglas Lumsden said: “Business rates are still a problem out there and the people of Aberdeen shouldn’t pick that up.
“The burden should fall on who caused it. The SNP Government in Holyrood.”
Councillors voted 22 to 21 in favour of asking the Scottish Government for financial support for the sector in 2018/19.
Councillors battle over fish processing business rates
