To finally win these powers and then not use them is extraordinary
Responding to proposals by the SNP to leave income tax for basic, higher and additional rate payers unchanged for five whole years once Holyrood's new powers take effect next year, Patrick Harvie MSP, Finance and Economy spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said:
"Following on from the SNP's deeply disappointing decision to let the unfair Council Tax live on in the next Parliament, today’s announcement that nobody, not even the very wealthiest, will pay a penny more in income tax is breathtaking.
"In the independence referendum, and in the Smith Commission, the Scottish Greens argued alongside Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney that Scotland needed the power to build a fairer, more equal society and an economy that protects our vital public services and invests in our young people’s future. To finally win these powers and then not use them is extraordinary.
"This proves the need for a bolder Holyrood, to push the Scottish Government beyond its safe comfort zone. Greens are determined to use the tax powers Scotland has, both at national and local level, to prove that Scotland can close the inequality gap and provide the homes, the services and the jobs for the future that the country needs. We look forward to publishing our own, progressive income tax proposals next week."