Salmond under pressure over Local Income Tax Bill

Published on Tuesday 2 September 2008 22:27

ALEX Salmond, the First Minister, was last night challenged to clarify his position on three flagship policies relating to climate change, replacing the council tax and building new schools and hospitals.

The call from opposition parties came ahead of the Scottish Government's legislative programme being announced by Mr Salmond this morning.

Much of the pressure is coming from the Scottish Conservatives and Greens, the two parties the SNP relied on to get their budget through parliament.

The Tories want ministers to put forward a bill on the local income tax, amid widespread speculation that LIT will be dropped because of almost universal opposition from organisations across Scotland.

"Whatever else he does, Alex Salmond needs to clear up what his government is going to do on the discredited local income tax plans," said Derek Brownlee, the Tories' finance spokesman.

"Will he publish the LIT Bill, as he said he would, or will he ditch it?"

Meanwhile, the Green MSP Patrick Harvie has demanded the long-awaited climate change bill is finally brought forward.

And Labour is pushing for news about starting the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), the organisation that the Scottish Government intends to use to fund vital infrastructure projects. John Swinney, the finance secretary, had said he would set up an arms-length SFT company over the summer recess, but nothing has happened.

Cathy Jamieson, a candidate for the Scottish Labour leadership, said: "While the SNP prevaricates on the SFT, schools are not being built, hospitals are not being improved and Fifers are still waiting for news of how the second crossing of the Forth will be paid for."