Meeting of the Parliament 18 February 2025
This year, councils are having to contemplate increases that are way above inflation because of ring fencing and the policies of Ivan McKee’s Government.
Undoubtedly, Labour is to blame for the decision to raise national insurance, but the SNP must take responsibility for the consequences of its own choices. As the Parliament prepares to pass the SNP’s budget next week, I remind businesses and workers that there is a different model to the cosy left-wing consensus that is doing so much damage to our economy and competitiveness. We should be looking to reduce the cost of Government, to reverse worrying trends in the size and scale of the social security system in Scotland and to reduce tax on ordinary hard-working people and businesses. Sadly, the Labour Party and the SNP have united to create a big state—a high-tax, low-growth Scotland—in which jobs are lost and businesses go to the wall. When prices rise, it will be increasingly clear that they are both failing to deliver for the people of Scotland.
I move, as an amendment to motion S6M-16488, to insert at end:
“; warns that the increase to ENICs is a tax on jobs that will negatively impact employers and employees; acknowledges that, as a direct consequence of Scottish Government policy, the Scottish public sector is disproportionately exposed to increases in labour costs because the Scottish public sector is proportionately larger than in the rest of the UK and its salary costs impose a heavier burden on taxpayers; considers, therefore, that budget decisions by both the Scottish and UK governments will hurt taxpayers, consumers and workers in Scotland and will negatively impact growth, and supports common-sense Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party proposals for tax cuts to grow Scotland’s economy and give workers and businesses much-needed relief.”
16:09Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.