Nicola Sturgeon is using smoke and mirrors on 50p tax – Murray

Nicola Sturgeon has no excuses left and should commit to a 50p tax to invest in schools, Labour said today.

Yesterday HMRC confirmed they will use their powers to ensure people pay their taxes. Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said that the SNP’s excuses on tax avoidance are now “wafer thin”.

The SNP leader has said that not having powers over tax avoidance is her reason for not reversing George Osborne’s tax cut for the 1%. However, the Scottish Government analysis the SNP base their position on does not address in detail the issue of tax avoidance.

Speaking at a campaign event in Edinburgh, Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

“Nicola Sturgeon is using smoke and mirrors to justify not backing a 50p top rate of tax. When schools and local services across Scotland are facing hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts the SNP will not ask some earning over £150,000 a year to pay a penny more in tax. That’s not the mark of an anti-austerity party.

The SNP excuses on tax avoidance are wafer thin – their own analysis does not address this issue in detail and HMRC has confirmed that it will rigorously enforce compliance with tax laws around residency.

A fairer Scotland shouldn’t be in thrall to the rich and powerful. Nicola Sturgeon must back a tax on the richest to protect the services the poorest rely on most.

Labour would reverse George Osborne’s tax cut for the wealthiest few so we can stop the cuts and invest in our future instead. Faced with the choice between cuts to public services or using the powers of the Scottish Parliament, Labour will use the powers.”

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2 thoughts on “Nicola Sturgeon is using smoke and mirrors on 50p tax – Murray

  1. You appear to have forgotten labour is going to tax the lower paid as well the middle and higher earners, what happened to your rebate for the lower paid ??? yet another labour policy to bite the dust.

    I do like your statement ” A fairer Scotland shouldn’t be in thrall to the rich and powerfull.”, I totally agree, so why did the labour party in Scotland stand arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder with the TORIES to deny Scotland its own independence and being governed by a government voted for by the scottish people.

    Why did the labour party stand shoulder to shoulder with the TORIES and LIBDEMS to vote against every amendment to the scottish bill down at westminster.

    And don’t forget your scottish leader told everyone on live TV she would do the same again in the event of another referendum, and incase you have forgotten she also wants to deny Scotland the right to another referendum, also on live TV.

    1. “Why did the labour party stand shoulder to shoulder with the TORIES and LIBDEMS to vote against every amendment to the scottish bill down at westminster.”

      They didn’t. This is an out-and-out lie. In fact Labour’s single MP proposed more amendments than the vast majority of SNP MPs put together, and Labour and the SNP voted together in favour of a number of them, including the one ensuring the Scottish Parliament is permanent and would require a referendum to scrap.

      Why do you consider it acceptable to just lie like this about Labour? Is your hate so strong that you simply don’t care? It’s revolting.

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