SCOTTISH Labour’s Richard Leonard has distanced himself from John McDonnell’s support for Tory tax cuts for the rich.

In Monday's budget Chancellor Philip Hammond brought forward a manifesto pledge to increase the higher-rate tax threshold in England and Wales to £50,000, by a year.

McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor, said a Labour government would not reverse the cut.

The Scottish Labour leader has been under pressure to say if he supports the Westminster leadership or if he believes, as he did last year, in increasing the higher rate of Scottish income tax.

On Wednesday, in a statement, Leonard tried to clarify his position.

“We want to see a Scottish budget where the richest pay their fair share to properly fund public services and tackle inequality," he said.

“The Tories have clearly broken their promise to end austerity. Income tax is devolved and raising the higher rate threshold should not be a priority for the Scottish government, we need a distinctive tax that meets the needs of the people of Scotland.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was disdainful: “‘Do as we say, not as we do’ says Scottish Labour...yet again,” she tweeted.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said Leonard's comments were “astonishing”.

“The Marxist McDonnell is not left-wing enough for @scottishlabour. SNP & Labour now in race to hammer Scottish families with tax rises,” he added.

Currently, Scots pay income tax at 41p in the pound between £43,340 and £150,000, while in England the rate is 40p and the threshold is £46,350.

From April, under Hammond’s planned changes, the threshold in England will rise to £50,000.

According to the Fraser of Allander Institute, if SNP Finance Secretary Derek Mackay was to increase the Scottish higher rate tax rate by inflation in 2019-20, the gap between the higher rate thresholds would mean that someone earning £50,000 in Scotland would pay £1,100 more in income tax than those in the rest of the UK.

The Scottish Tories want the Scottish Government to bring Scotland’s tax rates in line with the rest of the UK.

Mackay has indicated that he won't do that, saying that in his budget on December 12 he will "choose a fair, more progressive path" than Hammond.

Because income tax is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, under English Votes for English Laws rules, Scotland’s 59 MPs will not be able to vote on that part of the chancellor’s budget when it comes before the Commons on Thursday.

Analysis by the Resolution Foundation published on Tuesday found that the cuts, which will cost the Treasury almost £2.8bn, would overwhelmingly benefit wealthier households, with almost half the giveaway going to the top 10% of earners.

Labour MP David Lammy said his party had made the wrong choice in not opposing the rate change.

“These tax cuts leave a bitter taste in my mouth because they help high earners in the City far more than my constituents in Tottenham, some of whom this winter will be facing the choice between eating and heating," he said.

"I believe it is a mistake for the Labour party to support this policy as it will lead to more inequality, not less.”

However, McDonnell was steadfast in his support for the cuts: “We’re not going to take funding away from people. Some of these are middle-earners, headteachers and people like that, who’ve had a rough time of it, as well as everyone else,” he said.