Commenting on today’s Budget, Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian, said:
“ The SNP government has blatantly broken its repeated promises to freeze the basic rate on income tax throughout this Parliament to protect those on low and middle incomes, a promise repeated by the First Minister in Parliament as recently as May.
“ With Edinburgh and Lothian having higher on average incomes than other parts of Scotland, even more people here will be hit with higher income tax bills proportionately than in other parts of Scotland. And on top of that every council taxpayer in Lothian faces a 3% council tax rise as the Scottish Government is essentially forcing local authorities to increase council tax by failing to provide them with the core funding they require.
“ The SNP is presiding over a severe recruitment crisis in terms of key NHS staff like GPs, radiologists and consultants and yet it wants to hike income taxes for these vital NHS staff, meaning Scotland will be less attractive when these health professionals are looking at which part of the UK to work in.”