OUT IN THE COLD
Greens push Nationalists for ‘frequent flyer’ air tax
PATRICK Harvie has promised to use the Greens’ kingmaker role in Holyrood to push for a ‘frequent flier’ tax to force businessmen onto trains.
Nicola Sturgeon had pledged to cut Air Passenger Duty (APD), in half by 2021, cutting the price of family holidays – but is opposed by all the other Holyrood parties.
Yesterday Mr Harvie, now co-leader of six Green MSPs, proposed a compromise where families would still benefit – as long as they only have one holiday a year – but business commuters are forced to cough up.
He told Sunday Politics Scotland: ‘Air Passenger Duty is not a very effective environmental tax. Let’s find an alternative policy that can command a parliamentary majority – one that passes an environmental test, in
‘A recipe for economic disaster’
reducing aviation emissions, and a social justice in protecting people who just have one family holiday a year.
‘One idea is a frequent flier levy. Most of the burden would fall on people who take the highest number of unnecessary, short-haul flights.’
Challenged on whether the policy would hit those driving the economy, he added: ‘If people have an alternative – rail – which is economically beneficial because it allows these highly-paid, so important people to actually do some work when they’re travelling, if people see rail as the affordable, attractive alternative, people will do that.’
And in a direct message to Miss Sturgeon, Mr Harvie said: ‘If the SNP dig their heels in and say nothing, then nothing is likely to happen.’
Labour and the Tories also oppose cutting APD, because they believe money can be better spent elsewhere, while the Lib Dems have raised concerns about the environmental impact of cheaper flights. Last year, Miss Sturgeon signalled passengers will have to wait until April 2018 before the first reduction in APD, with the 50 per cent in place by 2021. The tax raises more than £250million a year, which will leave the SNP with a black hole in its finances as extra demand from passengers is unlikely to make up the loss.
But business leaders hit out at Mr Harvie’s plan.
Garry Clark, of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘We believe that if Scotland is to gain the maximum economic benefit from reducing APD, then the Scottish Government must reduce it by at least 50 per cent immediately upon devolution and put in place a firm timetable for the abolition of this tax altogether.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘UK APD is one of the most expensive taxes of its kind in the world. It continues to act as a barrier to Scotland’s ability to secure new direct international routes and maintain existing ones.’