Scottish councils will be able to charge unlimited council tax premiums on second homes after MSPs voted through revenue-raising powers that dwarf those available in England and Wales.

Meghan Gallacher (pictured), the Conservative Shadow Housing Secretary, has branded the move “reckless” and claims it sums up “the SNP and Greens addiction to saddling Scots with more and more taxes”.

According to a report in the Telegraph, the Scottish Greens railroaded a last-minute amendment through the Housing Bill, allowing the country’s 32 councils to increase premiums to limitless amounts.

Five-figure bills

All Scottish councils currently apply a 100 per cent premium, meaning the average Band D second homeowner pays £2,842 annually, but, in theory, those bills could now hit five figures.

Ross Greer, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, says the powers are necessary to combat a “frankly ridiculous number” of second homes in hotspots like Arran, Skye and Wester Ross. “This change will help us tackle the housing emergency while raising tens of millions of pounds for local services like schools and social care.”

The move goes way beyond English councils’ maximum 100 per cent premium and even Wales’ more draconian 300 per cent cap – a policy that has proved disastrous with house prices crashing, estate agencies closing and falling tourism numbers.

Nothing to suggest giving councils these powers will do anything to tackle soaring levels of homelessness in Scotland.”

Gallacher says there is “nothing to suggest giving councils these powers will do anything to tackle soaring levels of homelessness in Scotland, but Holyrood’s cosy Left-wing consensus railroaded them through anyway”.

Greer, though, says councils will receive “binding guidance” with “sensible exemptions for situations such as locum GP housing”. The uncapped premiums will also apply to Scotland’s 43,000 empty properties.

According to the latest figures, there are currently around 21,600 second homes in Scotland, which is 0.8 per cent of the total housing stock.