It was the unfortunate high-handed tone that hit home.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland yesterday, Finance Secretary and Deputy First Minister Shona Robison did her best, but struggled to locate her humility.

She was responding to accusations by Cosla, the body that represents Scotland’s councils, over a lack of consultation by ministers about the council tax freeze Humza Yousaf had sprung on local authorities last autumn in his party conference speech.

Contrary to ministers’ claims, the council tax freeze is not being fully funded by the Scottish Government, Cosla says, and there would as a result have to be yet more cuts to local services if it were imposed.

Inverclyde Council leader, Labour’s Stephen McCabe, said that there had been a generally “intransigent” stance towards councils from ministers, instead of real negotiation, since the freeze was announced. The Verity House Agreement signed between central and local government last summer, supposedly enshrining the principle of full consultation about any budget changes, was “dead in the water” as far as Mr McCabe could see.

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Ms Robison essentially dismissed it all. First she blamed Westminster budget cuts and secondly “political leaders” in local government. Ms Robison seemed to be suggesting it was a row instigated by certain political (particularly Labour) opponents. Nothing to see here.

It was not too difficult in the wake of Ms Robison’s performance to imagine the "extremely disappointing tone” of letters from members of........

© Herald Scotland