Expert analysis confirms SNP APD cut is the wrong priority

New expert analysis has confirmed that putting money in the pockets of working families is a more effective way to create jobs than the SNP’s £250 million plan to cut the price of airline tickets.

Expert analysis by the impartial Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) confirmed that government spending that puts money into the hands of families across Scotland creates more jobs than giving a tax cut to the aviation industry.

Scottish Labour has set out a plan to restore the money lost through George Osborne’s tax credit cuts for working families in Scotland. This would be funded by making different choices on tax from the SNP and Tory Governments. Scottish Labour would not implement the SNP’s planned £250 million cut to Air Passenger Duty and would not implement the Tory Government’s planned increase in the threshold for those paying the higher rate of income tax.

Scottish Labour’s Public Services and Wealth Creation Spokesperson Jackie Baillie said:

“This new expert analysis makes clear that Scottish Labour’s plan to put money in the pockets of working families is a much better way to create jobs than the SNP’s £250 million plan to make airline tickets a bit cheaper.

Politics is all about choices. How a government chooses to spend its budget determines its priorities. The SNP Government want to spend £250 million to make airline tickets a bit cheaper. Scottish Labour think that’s not the right priority, so we would use that funding instead to restore the money lost through tax credit cuts to working families.

The SNP have been all over the place in the last few days on tax credits. First they told us the Scottish Parliament wouldn’t have the power to act and in any event it would be too expensive to help working families. Then they admitted that wasn’t true but wouldn’t tell us whether working families would be entitled to the same support as they are now. It’s an utter shambles.

The only consistent thing about the SNP is their support for a £250 million plan to make airline tickets cheaper. At a time when some working families are struggling to pay for the weekly shop, the SNP have the wrong priorities.”

Commenting ahead of the final stage of the Scotland Bill in the House of Commons on Monday, Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

“The major new powers over tax and welfare should be used to transform Scotland. What people across the country want is to hear what each party would do with these powers. Scottish Labour have been very clear that we would use the new powers to restore the money lost through tax credits if George Osborne goes ahead with his plan.

The SNP will spend all their time in the Commons calling for power over tax credits, when the power to restore the money lost is already heading our way. They should just match our commitment to ensure working families in Scotland get the same entitled then as they do now.

The SNP’s constitutional games won’t work anymore. They have played that card once too often, and now it’s time to stop complaining and start delivering a fairer nation.”

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One thought on “Expert analysis confirms SNP APD cut is the wrong priority

  1. This is a wind up I know it is.

    “This new expert analysis makes clear that Scottish Labour’s plan to put money in the pockets of working families is a much better way to create jobs than the SNP’s £250 million plan to make airline tickets a bit cheaper.”

    For one thing SPICe is neither expert in anything nor politically impartial.
    Labour have no plans for putting money in pockets of working families their only idea is to take the APD cut and transfer it over to Tax credits which of course you cant do unless you cut APD which Labour says they wont do and if they do they cant use it for tax credit cuts as its already APD cuts.

    Yes everybody is confused.

    I would have thought the hole was deep enough already without Labour continuing to dig.

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