Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 23 March 2016
23 Mar 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
First Minister’s Question Time
Cabinet (Meetings)
I remind Willie Rennie of a budget that took place in the previous Westminster Government. I seem to remember that a certain party was part of that Government. When George Osborne decided to reduce the top rate of tax, the then leader of that party—the Deputy Prime Minister—said that it was a budget that every liberal could be proud of. Willie Rennie may want to rewrite history, but I suspect that the memory of the people of Scotland will be a lot longer than his.
On the question of my party’s policy, we will put forward—and are putting forward—fair, balanced and progressive tax policies that will raise additional revenue to invest in our public services, and we will do so without clobbering ordinary working people across our country.
In the same item of business
3. Willie Rennie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD)
LD
To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. (S4F-03322)
The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon)
SNP
The cabinet will not meet again until after the election, in the new parliamentary term. I will take nothing for granted, but I hope that I will chair that n...
Willie Rennie
LD
The First Minister’s big idea on tax is the status quo—to do literally nothing. Is she not a little bit disappointed that, after waiting for 80 years to get ...
The First Minister
SNP
I remind Willie Rennie of a budget that took place in the previous Westminster Government. I seem to remember that a certain party was part of that Governmen...
Willie Rennie
LD
The First Minister claims that those tax policies will raise perhaps £1 billion. Interruption.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Order.
Willie Rennie
LD
The Scottish National Party’s official press release yesterday referred to additional revenue of more than £1 billion. However, it also said: “no taxpayer w...
The First Minister
SNP
In the course of that question, Willie Rennie displayed breathtaking ignorance of how the fiscal framework—negotiated between the Scottish Government and the...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We move on to question 4. I call Kevin Stewart.