Swinney 'proud' of tax regime as Scots face further hikes

JOHN SWINNEY insisted he was “proud” about Scotland’s current taxation regime which sees thousands of Scots pay more than their English counterparts.

- By David Walker Scottish Politics Reporter

He was confronted at First Minister's Questions about the fact that people living in Scotland have less money in their pockets after 18 years of a SNP Government.

To defend himself, he went back to his old excuse of blaming “Tory austerity” and Liz Truss for the economic problems facing Scotland right now.

Economic growth is slumping north of the Border, with wages continuing to be lower than those down south.

Damning

The First Minister also faced criticism about the funding crisis facing Scotland's colleges following a damning report published on Thursday. Audit Scotland found that colleges' funding has been cut by 20% in real terms in five years, down to £656.2million in 2025-26.

The watchdog added: “This means that between 2021/22 and 2025/26, funding for colleges has decreased by almost £20m (3%) in cash terms and by 20% in real terms.” But Mr Swinney once again blamed the UK Government.