Readers' Letters: SNP should hang head over Scots paid less than £13K

The Scottish Government’s analysis of tax changes proudly boasts that 1.8 million Scots, equating to 39 per cent of the population, are not affected by the increased income tax rates. The analysis shows that this is because their income is less than the personal allowance of £12,570. Rather than defending the tax changes, the SNP Government should hang its head in shame that it has allowed the economy to deteriorate so badly that 1.8 million Scots have an income of less than £12,570 a year.

First Minister Humza Yousaf and Finance Secretary Shona Robison are behind the tax changes hitting hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

The SNP need to focus on growing the economy and creating well-paid jobs. Instead, they focus on penalising those who earn more, driving away entrepreneurs and the high-value taxpayers Scots depend on to aid those who need help. Those paying the top two tax rates pay 65 per cent of all Income Tax, and frightening away just a few of them will reduce the tax take.Even after 14 years in power, the SNP has failed to grow the economy as fast as the rest of the UK. Had they done so, there would be hundreds of millions of pounds more to spend on the NHS, Education, Policing, the Fire Service and Local Government. Even within the SNP movement, people are saying enough is enough and a change of direction is needed. An election cannot come soon enough.

Brian Barbour, Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland

Lights out?

Could someone please take the time to tell the SNP that they lack competence in everything they do (ferries, A9, BiFab, NHS, education etc) so asking to have control of the power grid transferred to the SNP Government will bring shivers down the spines of the entire Scottish people. Literally.

Stan Hogarth, Strathaven, South, Lanarkshire

A clear view

As 2023 draws to a close the watchword from the SNP/Green alliance was meant to be "transparency”.

As it turns out, the real word was “secrecy”. From the strange demise of Nicola Sturgeon's reign it just went downhill for the Scottish Government. Secrets abound. The ferries contracts, the Highland smelter costs, the ongoing fate of the gender recognition reforms, the neverending wait for the verdict of Operation Branchform, the mystery over Michael Matheson's iPad and intrigue surrounding SNP politicians during lockdown. It goes on and on with no clear resolutions yet tendered. What is abundantly obvious is that 2024 looks no better for our Scottish Government. The fallout over its catastrophic Budget still reverberates, for starters.

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

Care for dying

Although the views of Esther Rantzen and other high-profile celebrities on assisted death ( not “dying” as this is a misnomer) are to be respected, there are thousands more like me with just as strong and compassionate views who oppose the proposed Liam McArthur bill and do not have the financial resources and press influence of such pressure groups as Dignitas.

If 120,000 cannot access end-of-life palliative care as reported, should assisted death become a legal right when palliative is not a right? Only a third of the funding for hospice and community palliative care comes from the government, and for the rest we rely on charity. This cannot be right.

Now retired, my view has been informed by over 50 years of nursing, including Marie Curie for the terminally ill, midwifery, health visiting and counselling in general practice and the community. My firm stance is also from a personal, professional, moral and ethical point of view. I reflect on the support given for end-of-life care by the dedicated professionals, support staff and families in their care for the living during the last dying days, weeks and months – not to end a life. In my experience, assisted dying is already given with great compassion and care. When palliative care is unavailable it is because of a lack of government funding and resources. As the Hippocratic Oath says, “First we do the patient no harm”. Where does this leave any doctor if the law allows killing?

I welcome the debate, both at Westminster and Holyrood, but hope that the over-emotional outpourings from celebrities will not cloud the judgment of our politicians, and hope they will be allowed a free vote to enable them to follow their consciences.

We must bear in mind the truly dreadful consequences of following the lead of countries such as Canada, which scrapped the requirement for a person to be terminally ill within a few years of legislation, supposedly to help people who feared being a burden to their families. We must focus on providing resources, training, funding and the political will to ensure the best possible care for the dying which would make any change in the law redundant.

Pamala McDougall, Inverkeilor, Angus

Failed tackles

The SFA and SPFL had high-profile talks, in late November, about the recent inappropriate crowd behaviour at Dens Park and Parkhead. They were under intense media pressure but waited for the furore to die down then, true to form, did nothing. The talks were the end in themselves. No Scottish club has ever been sanctioned over the illegal use of dangerous pyrotechnics.

The events have confirmed the utter naivety of repealing the Offensive Behaviour At Football Act 2012. Yet the answer stares us in the face; ie emulate every other nation in UEFA. Bring in strict liability, ie deduct points, fine, shut a stand or have matches played behind closed doors. It has transformed Dutch football.

The football authorities have been collating research on unacceptable conduct at matches since 2017, but only hand it to the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on the grounds it is not made public. They continue to run scared of the Glasgow giants.

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing Fife

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