HARDWORKING SCOTS HEADING FOR MORE MISERY ON TAXES

Swinney forced to mull another U-turn with Holyrood election looming large

- DAVID WALKER Scottish Politics Reporter

HARDWORKING Scots face more SNP tax hell next year as John Swinney refused yesterday to rule out hiking up income tax in the Scottish budget.

Last year, the First Minister committed to no more income tax increases before the next Holyrood election in May 2026. However Mr Swinney now looks set to break this promise. The SNP have been thrown into disarray after Finance Secretary Shona Robison overruled her boss by blasting plans by the UK Government to increase income tax for people in the rest of the UK.

She claimed that this would cost the Scottish Government £1billion, and showed that Scotland is an "afterthought" to Westminster.

Just last week, Mr Swinney promised Scots that he wouldn't be hiking up income tax, telling a conference he was "very happy to reinforce" his commitment made last December.

Scotland is already the most heavily taxed part of the UK, with anyone earning more than around £30,300 paying more than they would if they lived in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

At First Minister's Questions yesterday, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay asked Mr Swinney three times to rule out increasing income tax and each time he refused to do SO.

Mr Findlay said: "It will be a hammer blow to Scottish workers.

We've got two left-wing parties that only want to tax, tax, tax. Labour are doing the same as the SNP have done for the past decade. Most workers in Scotland pay more than those in the rest of the UK who do the same job and earn the same amount.