SOUTH Ayrshire Councillors have pointed the finger at each other's political parties as council tax is set to rise.

Plans by the Scottish Government have seen council tax bands E-H increasing by 3 per cent.

Conservative councillor for Troon, Peter Convery has said the fault lies with the government and the First Minister.

He said: "The problem is we have got 32 local authorities having lost £170 million for local services.

"We are in a difficult position of letting services deteriorate or put a 3 per cent increase.

"Some councils can only see that way is a way to balance the books. It is not something I feel entirely happy about.

"The fault for me lies with the Scottish Government and the First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon)"

However, SNP Troon councillor Nan McFarlane has hit back at Convery claiming that this nothing to do with the SNP.

She said: "The Scottish Government set up a joint commission with COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities), to look at options for a fairer local tax system. 

"Council Leaders, with representatives from across the political spectrum established the Commission, however Tory party council leaders chose not to take part in it, which included South Ayrshire Council. 

"Ironically those are the ones making the loudest noises now and threatening to raise the council tax to the max.

"It is not the First Minister, nor the SNP's fault. The 3 per cent money is extra from what we have been receiving from 2007.

"This will hopefully be used for matters like closing the attainment gap."

Councillor McFarlane also claimed that anyone with an income lower than £25,000 a year will be exempt from the increase through the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme.

She continued: "All political parties, bar the Tories, worked together to come up with this fairer and more progressive tax system."