John Swinney has been accused of making hard-working Scots pay the price for his skewed priorities.
Local MSP Craig Hoy has branded the budget ‘cynical and predictable’, for increasing bills for squeezed middle-earners while allowing the benefits bill to spiral yet again.
Shadow finance secretary Craig Hoy said that Shona Robison’s plans will mean:
- More workers being dragged into paying higher-rate tax, with next to no help for those in lower bands
- Businesses still not receiving the help that they need, in the face of a punishing rates revaluation
- The unaffordable welfare budget rising again by more than half a billion pounds
- A massive 25 per cent increase in the budget for international development and pushing the SNP’s independence obsession overseas
The Scottish Conservatives called for a cut to 19 per cent in the rate of income tax paid up to the higher rate, and a freeze in thresholds, which would have saved workers up to £718 per year.
The “paltry and insulting” changes introduced by Shona Robison mean that no one will save more than £32 per year, while middle-earners will continue to pay more – thousands of pounds more than they would in England.
Shona Robison has done nothing to pause the rates revaluation, which has seen rises of up to 400 per cent for some businesses.
And while households and businesses are struggling with a cost-of-living crisis at home, the SNP have found the money for a massive increase in the International Development budget.
Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Craig Hoy said: “This cynical and predictable SNP budget yet again hammers striving Scots, who already pay the highest taxes in the UK.
“Shona Robison’s tinkering with the lower rate tax bands produces paltry and insulting savings for some, while middle-earners will be clobbered harder than ever before.
“Businesses are on the brink after years of being deprived the rates relief available down south, and now they face catastrophic bill rises in April. Yet Shona Robison is still ploughing ahead with a revaluation which will destroy businesses.
“Hard-working Scots are paying the price for the SNP’s skewed priorities – with the out-of-control benefits bill continuing to grow and a huge rise in overseas development spending.
“Labour gave this budget a free pass even before they had seen it because they share the SNP’s high-tax, left-wing agenda.
“Only the Scottish Conservatives are focused on growing the economy and bringing down bills for hard-pressed workers and businesses.”
