Outrage as Swinney decides to write off £425m poll tax debt
MILLIONS of pounds i n unpaid poll tax is to be written off, even though a Holyrood committee warned that such a plan should be delayed.
Finance Secretary John Swinney is due to go ahead with proposals to scrap Scotland’s £425 million of outstanding poll tax debt this week.
The move comes after the Scottish parliament’s finance committee last week said a public consultation must take place on the issue before the introduction of any law.
The initiative was announced by then First Minister Alex Salmond in September after it emerged that councils were using information obtained from the electoral roll following the record turnout for the independence referendum to chase poll tax debts dating back more than 20 years.
But the finance committee report said: ‘The committee understands and appreciates the reasoning behind the Scottish Government’s wish to introduce legislation, but makes clear its expectation consultation takes place prior to the introduction of legislation.’
Local government umbrella body Cosla fears the move will lead to an increase in council tax avoidance.
Scottish Tory finance spokesman Gavin Brown, a member of the finance committee, said: ‘I’m disappointed but not surprised that the Scottish Government is unwilling to have a consultation. They talk a good game about listening to the public and stakeholders, but when it suits them they are perfectly happy to ignore those same stakeholders.
‘The short consultation held by the finance committee sug- gested that the policy will not be as popular as they first thought and it appears they just want to push this through as quickly as possible.
‘Salmond has blown a gasket and decreed this is happening, with John Swinney having to phone up Cosla five minutes before FMQs to say this is what’s happening and that’s it – no discussion, no consultation. It’s a political stunt by a man who knew he was on the way out.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We wanted to address the use of information gathered from voter registration to pursue historical debts from a tax that is discredited.
‘We have been able to bring forward legislation on an expedited timetable so that it can be in force for the start of the next financial year.
‘While there has not been a full public consultation, we have consulted Cosla and individual local authorities, which are the only bodies that could be adversely affected by our proposals.’