Reduce waste before increasing tax rates

Sir, - Is First Minister Nicola Sturgeon trying to soften us all up in preparation (September 8) for a rise in the basic rate of income tax?

The first thing she may want to consider is whether this would sit easily with removing the cap on public sector pay.

There might be little point in giving workers in the health service, local government and the civil service a pay increase if it is to be immediately recouped through the tax system. Even more important is the attitude of voters to waste in government spending.

This came to mind recently as I listened to Dame Margaret Hodge give a talk at the Edinburgh Book Festival.

As a former chair of the Westminster public accounts committee, she is well placed to comment on discrepancies in the way public money is spent.

She estimated that out of a total expenditure budget of £800 billion, about £100bn is wasted.

How? Departments not working well together; inefficient procurement policies; incompetent attempts at introducing information technology; lack of strategic direction; private firms not understanding the public sector’s needs when bidding for and implementing contracts; political interference in defence contracts; collusion between the big accountancy firms and the HMRC over tax avoidance.

It would be wrong to pretend that some of these problems don’t exist in the way the Scottish Government manages our affairs.

If Ms Sturgeon wants to increase our taxes she needs to show that she is serious about tackling waste first. Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.

Picture: Getty. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.