I WAS struck by Scottish Tory proposals in their manifesto to cut income tax for higher earners. Behind the rhetoric, this demonstrates how out of touch the Tories really are, planning tax cuts for the rich while delivering further austerity and widening the gap between rich and poor.
Tory proposals would increase the £43,663 annual earnings threshold at which people start paying the higher rate to match the UK Government’s £50,271. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has highlighted that such cuts make a Tory pledge of £2 billion for health spending unachievable.
READ MORE: SNP slam 'Dickensian' Tory tax cut plan for the richest in Scotland
Each Tory MSP could save £1,321 under their own proposals and tax cuts. Giving the wealthiest more money while cutting the NHS budget is most definitely not the right priority as we recover from the Covid-pandemic and seek to deliver a fairer society.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
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