LEFT-WING Scottish Labour leadership candidate Neil Findlay MSP yesterday called out his Blairite rival Jim Murphy MP over the council tax freeze which has cost thousands of jobs in local government.

Responding to a speech in which Mr Murphy called for “devo max within Scotland” — a transfer of powers from Holyrood to local communities — Mr Findlay said: “If Jim has come round to my idea of stronger local government that’s great but he can’t support stronger local government and a council tax freeze at the same time, it’s impossible.”

Earlier, Mr Murphy had told an invited Glasgow audience that he would hand local councils and other bodies some of the powers which the Smith Commission has recommended should be transferred from Westminster to Holyrood.