HALF of those affected by a one-off “windfall tax” proposed by Richard Leonard during his speech at the Labour Party conference yesterday would be pensioners, according to the SNP.

Labour’s Scottish leader proposed a “1% windfall tax on Scotland’s wealthiest 10%” which he claims would raise £3.7 billion. But the SNP say official figures show that 49% of those affected would be pensioner households.

SNP MSP Bruce Crawford said: “Labour’s plan for a one-off tax is completely half-baked. Half of those hit by this £3.7bn tax bill would be pensioners – for whom having a house does not necessarily mean having a high income. For many of those would be hit, their ‘wealth’ could be little more than their home and pension. How is Richard Leonard expecting them to afford a one-off tax bill?

“Rather than more half-baked plans for Labour or reheated proposals of federalism-some-day, we should take full controls over tax and welfare in Scotland.”