Friday, September 05, 2008

SNP's Tax Plans Will Damage Scotland

On Wednesday, Labour slammed the SNP for pressing ahead with proposals for a local income tax in its legislative programme, despite near universal opposition.

Local income tax will damage Scotland and must be dumped. Labour's acting leader Cathy Jamieson said:

"Alex Salmond says he 'didn't mind' Thatcherite economics. Now he is bringing forward his very own tartan poll tax. His plans for a local income tax are so discredited that even the SNP are ashamed to mention its name. Instead, it is transformed into the Abolition of Council Tax Bill.

"The SNP's tax plans will simultaneously make Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK and damage local services. That is why they are opposed by virtually almost everyone in Scotland, from the STUC to the CBI."

It would have been far better if this legislative programme was used to increase investment in health, provide jobs for newly qualified teachers and end automatic early release for prisoners. The First Minister should stop pretending that he knows better and dump the local income tax now.

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