‘Smallest income tax cut in history’ is damning verdict on Robison’s numbers

SHONA ROBISON was accused of making the “smallest income tax cut in history” as the fallout from her dire Budget intensified yesterday.

- BY DAVID WALKER Scottish Politics Reporter

Thanks to the SNP taking the “brave” decision to increase the basic and intermediate thresholds, Scots on the lowest salaries will save just 61p per week.

This election “gimmick” has already been rubbished by experts who have pointed out that it is costing the already struggling public purse £52million and is only being brought in so that the SNP can brag about the majority of taxpayers paying less income tax than their English counterparts.

However, a refusal to increase any other thresholds mean that over 100,000 hardworking Scots will be pushed into higher brackets in the forthcoming years.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) said in 2026-27, it expects 835,000 people to pay income tax at “at least” the higher rate - which amounts to 26.3% of taxpayers, or one in four Scots.

That compares to 304,000 (12.1%) who paid higher rate taxes in 2016-17, before the SNP

‘This will be undone by fiscal creep’