From The Times today... Ruth Davidson sets out tax-cutting manifesto for 2016 election. Ruth Davidson said the transfer of tax powers to Holyrood over the next few years would change the dynamic of Scottish politics James Glossop/The Times Hamish Macdonell Published at 12:01AM, December 22 2014 Scottish Conservatives are to fight the 2016 Scottish elections on a radical platform of tax cuts for all, Ruth Davidson announced yesterday. The leader of the Scottish Conservatives said the transfer of tax powers to Holyrood over the next few years would change the whole dynamic of Scottish politics. Ms Davidson said she wanted the Tories to be the party which promised to use those powers to reduce the tax burden on families and businesses, not increase it. Insiders talk of an opportunity to open up clear blue water between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP and Scottish Labour. The nationalists’ tax policy has to fit the needs of a left-leaning members who want more spending on health and welfare, as well meeting the demands of its business supporters who argue for lower taxes. Jim Murphy, the leader of Scottish Labour, has already called for a 50p top rate of income tax to be re- introduced for people earning more than £150,000. The Scottish Conservatives have already unveiled their proposals to cut the stamp duty take by £90 million a year and Ms Davidson said the same could be done for air passenger duty, income tax and the other tax powers. John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, said Ms Davidson’s plan might prove a success in attracting more people to vote Conservative and provide a distinct difference with the other parties. The Scottish Conservative leader said she believed that “every ordinary person and business in the land” was paying too much tax. “It’s time for an urgent correction,” she said. “Ordinary working and middle-class people in this country now need to get a break and pay less.” Ms Davidson announced the creation of an independent commission on tax to work out how each of the taxes which will come to the Scottish parliament can be reduced. It will start work in the new year and look at every tax power that is coming to the Scottish parliament and recommend ways of reducing the tax burden. Ms Davidson said: “I want us to be the most dynamic, enterprising nation in Europe. That’s what our commission will have as its objective — to come up with a tax system that makes us competitive with countries across Europe.” Scotland is to get the first tranche of new tax powers in April when stamp duty and landfill tax is handed over to the control of the Scottish parliament. That will be swiftly followed by limited control over income tax the following year but further changes, including complete control over income tax and air passenger duty are expected to follow quickly as a result of the Smith Commission recommendations. Ms Davidson said: “We need to move to a fairer, lower, simpler system of taxation in Scotland. Our commission will start with a blank sheet of paper and it will examine the whole, Scottish-wide picture in the round.” Professor Curtice said all the parties were starting to realise that using the new tax powers could be tricky: “There might be electoral advantage to be gained from this sort of tax-cutting agenda. It may well work and attract a certain middle market and it may be a way of galvanising the troops. It is only going to work if she can explain why it is that Scotland will have less money to spend on schools and education.”
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 09:23:48 +0000
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