Scottish Tories pledge tax cut for middle class
MIDDLE-CLASS scots would be handed a massive tax cut under Tory plans to stop scotland being the highest-taxed part of the UK.
Everyone earning more than £27,393 would benefit from the policy, to be unveiled by the scottish conservatives ahead of May’s Holyrood election.
Under a commitment that will be written into the party’s manifesto, income tax cuts for middle and higher earners would be introduced over five years to close the gap between scotland and the rest of the UK by the end of the next parliament.
Teachers, nurses and police are among more than one million scots who, thanks to sNP policies, pay more income tax than they would if they lived south of the Border. Under the Tory plans, someone on £40,000 a year would get a tax cut of £126 a year.
This would rise to £1,494 for someone on £50,000, £2,048 for earnings of £100,000 and £2,673 for those a £150,000 salary.
The policy is due to be unveiled at the three-day scottish Tory conference, being held virtually, which gets under way today and will start the party’s campaign for the election.
scottish conservative leader Douglas Ross said: ‘One of the announcements I am going to be making is on income tax and we will, over the course of the next parliament, seek to restore that parity for scottish taxpayers with the rest of the UK.
‘It is wrong that over a million people in scotland have to pay more tax than people in the rest of the UK for doing the same job.
‘anyone in scotland earning more than £27,393 pays more tax.
‘I don’t think anyone would say someone on £30,000, or just under £30,000, is a high earner. This affects 1.1 million people in scotland, and they are not all high earners.’
It is estimated that it would cost around £275million a year to close the tax gap – although this cost
‘We will seek to restore parity’
could be reduced by making scotland a more attractive place for people to live and work, which could boost the amount of tax generated.
However, if they led the next government, the Tories would be unlikely to offer immediate tax cuts due to the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and would instead gradually introduce them over the lifetime of the parliament, when finances allow.
Mr Ross said: ‘Understandably, through this pandemic public finances are under strain like never before, so it would be reckless to look at doing this straightaway.
‘I would look to realign our tax rates and bands over the course of the next five-year parliament.’
He will commit that no scottish taxpayer will pay more than those in other parts of the UK, but also that small tax cuts introduced for lower earners will not be removed.
Those earning less than £27,393 pay around £21 a year less than if they lived south of the Border.
The Tory conference will include speeches from Boris Johnson and Rishi sunak tomorrow. Mr Ross will give his address on Monday.
The party’s election campaign will focus on rebuilding the economy and opposing an independence vote.
Its main campaign slogan will be: ‘End division. No referendum. Rebuild scotland.’
Mr Ross said: ‘[The sNP’s] focus is more damaging, divisive debate on scotland’s place in the UK rather than focusing on our recovery.’