Tory blames ‘slap dash’ SNP for £140m VAT bill

TAX: Scottish emergency services only ones in UK not exempt from VAT

Luke Graham, Tory MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, said the SNP is trying to pin its “slap dash” approach to governing on the Chancellor as the party seeks to slash the tax bill for Scotland’s emergency services.

Nicola Sturgeon’s party said it has made 139 pleas to the UK Government to end a discrepancy that forces the police and fire services in Scotland to pay £35 million a year in VAT when other territorial forces are exempt.

The Scottish Government is making its latest call for Philip Hammond to free the emergency services of the tax liability ahead of tomorrow’s Budget.

“This was a huge mistake on the part of the SNP, who were aware that this would happen before they finalised the decision,” said Mr Graham

He said the Nationalists are “expecting the UK Government to fix the problems they caused because of their slap dash approach to governing”.

The tax discrepancy emerged four years ago when the eight regional police forces north of the border merged to become Police Scotland.

Ben Macpherson, the SNP MSP, said “Tory inaction and pig-headedness” has cost Scotland’s frontline emergency services £140m since 2013.

He said the UK Government had already made exemptions for academy schools, Highways England and the BBC.

“To end this injustice, however, not only should the VAT levy be dropped but the UK Government should also refund the £140m that Scotland’s police and fires services have already paid,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Church of Scotland has weighed in on the Budget by calling on the Chancellor to end the benefits freeze, halt the roll-out of Universal Credit and increase the social fund funeral payment.

Mr Hammond will present his tax and spending plans to MPs tomorrow afternoon at a time when his position is under threat from pro- Brexit colleagues, who believe his Europhile stance is undermining the EU departure.

The Home Counties MP has already announced plans to get 300,000 homes built a year, which will result in cash flowing to Holyrood for spending on housing in Scotland.

Picture: PA. The SNP claim they have approached the UK Government 139 times with a request to end the discrepancy that forces Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to pay VAT.