Bring Scottish income tax back into line with rest of UK, says Holyrood candidate
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The Scottish Conservative candidate for Inverness and Nairn has called for Scottish income tax rates to be brought back into line with the rest of the UK.
Edward Mountain said his party had made the pledge 'so that Scottish workers are not paid less for doing the same job as their colleagues elsewhere' in the UK.
He said the policy would be delivered over the course of the next Parliament and by 2026 at the latest if the Scottish Conservatives gain power.
Mr Mountain said: "There are 2.5 million taxpayers in Scotland, of which 46 per cent – 1.15 million – will pay more tax in 2021-22 than if they lived in the rest of the UK.
"The six council areas in the Highlands and Islands together have a nine per cent population share of Scotland, suggesting around 103,500 people in the Highlands and Islands pay more tax under the SNP.
"The SNP promised in 2016 not to raise the basic rate of income tax, but now everyone earning over £27,393 pays more than the rest of the UK.
Mr Mountain continued: “The SNP have broken their promises and made Scotland the highest-taxed part of the UK.
“Their tax grab has unfairly punished hardworking Highlanders – leaving them with less in the bank compared to people doing identical jobs South of the border.
“Scotland’s tax rates must be brought into line with the rest of the UK and the Scottish Conservatives would do this over the course of the next Parliament as we focus on rebuilding from Covid-19 in the short term.”
