Meeting of the Parliament 04 June 2026 [Draft]
Growing the economy is the legitimate way of eradicating poverty. If we grew the economy, we would not need the burgeoning benefits bill that the SNP has presided over for the past 14 years.
Mr Harvie might disagree, but I believe that there is a moral and social case for cutting tax. The Government does not see that and the Parliament has never tried it. I remind ministers of one simple fact: the Parliament has not just tax-raising but tax-varying powers. That is why the Scottish Conservatives proposed a fully costed set of tax cuts in the previous session of Parliament, and that is why we will continue to argue during this session of Parliament—as our amendment does—for a reduction in income tax to stimulate the much-needed growth that we all want to see, to fund Scotland’s public services.
The inescapable fact is that people in Scotland now pay over £1.8 billion more a year in tax than they would if they lived in the rest of the UK. Many believe that there is nothing credible to show for it. Those struggling to access healthcare, having to raid their own savings or their pension to pay for a new knee or a hip, or those who are damaging their cars by driving on roads that are riddled with potholes are, quite rightly, questioning what it is that they are receiving.
In an election during the cost of living crisis, we committed to cutting the biggest—