Scotland’s place as the highest-taxed part of the UK has been confirmed following today’s budget announced by finance secretary Derek Mackay.
He revealed to the Scottish Parliament that levies on people and businesses would be higher than elsewhere in Britain.
In addition, he will cut £327 million from council funding.
This is despite claiming he was no longer raiding local authorities to fund an initiative to close Scotland’s attainment gap.
Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser said:
“The finance secretary received an extra £140 million from the Treasury compared to the current year, plus an extra £800m for capital spending.
“He also has huge new powers over tax to deliver real growth in Scotland.
“However, Mr Mackay has chosen to hike taxes on families and businesses, risking a choking of economic recovery.
“That will only deprive Scottish public services of vital tax revenue.
“In not matching the UK increase in the threshold for the 40 per cent rate of income tax, the finance secretary is making Scotland the most expensive part of the UK in which to live, work and do business.
“The First Minister’s hand-picked chair of her Growth Commission, the SNP’s former economy spokesman Andrew Wilson, gets it when he says that the way to grow tax revenue is to grow the number of high earning tax payers.
“If the finance secretary won’t listen to us, will he at least listen to the First Minister’s own adviser, and think again on tax?
“When it comes to local government, this budget is quite simply a massive con on the people of Scotland.
“Nicola Sturgeon stood up in the chamber earlier today and tried to claim the budget would protect local services.
“But her finance secretary’s proposals show they are actually trying to pull a fast one on Scotland’s local services.
“They’re going to pay for a plan to fix their mess in education – but only by slashing the money they give to councils, the very people who are delivering education on the ground.
“Local councils face a real terms cut in their grant of more than £300 million.
“It’s taking away with one hand, in order to give a little back with the other.
“What a shambles.
“This is a Scottish Government which wants to make Scotland the highest taxed part of the United Kingdom. Scots will pay more, but in return get a shambolic mess on education and the NHS.
“If the SNP persists in taxing Scottish residents more than those from elsewhere in the UK, there is no way we can support this budget.
“Distracted by its plan for a referendum on independence, this SNP government is quite simply failing to deliver.”
For more on the budget, visit:
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/12/6610