Greens: SNP tax policy "a shambles"
For immediate release 31 March 2011
Greens today slammed SNP Ministers for taking legal action to challenge a ruling from the Information Commissioner that they should make access their secret Local Income Tax costings, as revealed in today's Daily Telegraph. The SNP's tax policy in any case remains currently undeliverable given the decision by John Swinney to let the HMRC database lapse - the same system is required for both the Scottish Variable Rate and any additional Scottish Local Income Tax.
Patrick Harvie said:
"It's no wonder Alex Salmond wants the embarrassing details locked away in a filing cabinet so the public can't see what a shambles the SNP's tax policy is. In opposition they were doughty campaigners for freedom of information, but now they're wasting yet more public money on a Kafkaesque legal action to try and keep the truth from us.
"The Nats' local income tax plans have been dead as a doornail for some time now. Their botched scheme would have relied on the same HMRC system that John Swinney let lapse when he lost his way on the variable income tax rate. Unlike the existing income tax system, the Nats would have exempted shareholder income, giving a massive tax cut to the rich. Only the Greens are going into this election with a practical and fairer tax system, one that would bring in significantly more revenue and enable us to invest in public services."