An East Renfrewshire politician has claimed that 22,000 local people will be hit by a tax hike in the Scottish Budget.
East Renfrewshire MP, Paul Masterton said the SNP and the Green party joined together in Holyrood to push through changes which will see the area hit with income tax increases.
The minority SNP government struck a deal with the Scottish Greens last month to give them enough support to pass the budget with the final vote 70 to 56.
Mr Masterton said that the changes mean that anyone earning more than £26,000 a year will pay more tax than they would if they lived in England. East Renfrewshire has a high amount of high earners living within its boundaries that compared to other Council areas in Scotland.
Paul Masterton, said: “These income tax changes are extremely disappointing news for East Renfrewshire residents. It will see many hard-working families hit as a result of the SNP’s inability to grow the Scottish economy. This will also break a key manifesto pledge by the SNP not to raise income tax. Put simply, the people of East Renfrewshire are having to pick up the bill for a decade of the SNPs economic mismanagement.”
“There is also no good reason for Scottish taxpayers to be paying more than their friends and family in the rest of the UK.”
“Whilst some people will see an extremely small saving, this will be nothing compared to the increase in Council Tax coming round the corner from the SNP/Labour administration, and all at a time when councils are having to cut back services significantly. All this will lead to is less disposable income for those on the tightest budgets.
“East Renfrewshire is paying more to get less, and people here deserve better.”
Scottish Conservative MSP for the West of Scotland, Maurice Golden, said: “Once again the SNP have done a deal with the hard left Greens to pass their budget, and it’s ordinary families that will pay the price. Anyone earning over £26,000 will now have to pay more tax.
“The SNP promised not to raise taxes – this week, they have shown their promises are worthless. Derek Mackay, George Adam and Tom Arthur are supposed to stick up for the interests of the people of Renfrewshire – they have betrayed the trust of those who voted for them, and they should apologise.”
Scottish Conservative Councillor John McIntyre for Paisley Northwest, said: “So much for our local SNP and Green MSPs standing up for Renfrewshire – they all voted to burden already hard pressed local residents with bigger tax bills. Let’s be clear, this isn’t the super-rich we are talking about, it’s normal people doing everyday jobs. It would fit the SNP better to focus on making sure they have more money in their pocket, not raiding their wage packets.”
Tom Arthur, SNP MSP for Renfrewshire South, said: “This budget will increase funding for the NHS by £400 million, back small businesses and innovation, invest in the expansion of early learning and childcare, and provide essential funding for our public services.
“The SNP Government has also lifted the public sector pay cap which will see thousands better off, with those earning up to £36,500 receiving a minimum 3% pay increase.
“In addition to this, schools in Renfrewshire South will benefit from over £1.8 million of Pupil Equity Funds.
“For the majority of taxpayers, Scotland will be the lowest taxed part of the UK. The value of university tuition, personal care, prescriptions and eye tests show that Scottish taxpayers get the best deal of any UK taxpayer.
“This is an historic budget, and their poor objections show that the Tories are completely out of touch with the Scottish public, and their tax plans would leave a £500 million hole in the Scottish budget – leaving our public services short-changed.”
Main image: Derek Mackay delivering the Scottish Government’s Draft Spending and Tax Plans for 2018-19, December 2017