Income tax Scotland: Poll shows Scots deeply divided on Humza Yousaf tax hike for higher earners

Scots are deeply divided over Humza Yousaf’s planned income tax changes, a new poll by Norstat has revealed

Almost the same amount of voters support Humza Yousaf's plan to tax higher earners more as oppose it, as a new poll has revealed Scots are split over the move.

The survey, carried out by Norstat for the Times, showed 39 per cent of Scots support the First Minister’s decision to raise income tax for higher earners. However, 40 per cent indicated they were opposed to the same proposal.

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A new income tax band is to be created for those earning more than £75,000, while the top rate will rise by 1p in the pound.

Humza Yousaf reacts as he answers questions during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesHumza Yousaf reacts as he answers questions during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Humza Yousaf reacts as he answers questions during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Former finance secretary Kate Forbes has warned that “continually increasing” taxes is counter-productive because it ultimately reduces public revenue over the long term.

Norstat, formerly called Panelbase, interviewed 1,007 adults in Scotland aged 16 or older from January 22 to January 25 for the poll. The results also showed a majority of SNP supporters (53 per cent) supported the move to raise income tax for higher earners, with 25 per cent against.

But Conservative voters were strongly opposed on the whole, with just 22 per cent backing Mr Yousaf’s policy, while 63 per cent were against the tax changes.

However, another move instigated by Mr Yousaf – a freeze in council tax – received clear support in the same poll.

A total of 69 per cent of respondents backed the move to keep council tax at the same level, while only 17 were opposed.

The freeze has been condemned by council umbrella body Cosla, which has argued the policy puts massive pressure on the finances of local authorities and leads to cuts.

The move was announced by the First Minister at the SNP conference in October in a policy decision that took government partners, the Scottish Greens, by surprise at the time.

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In results published earlier from the same Norstat poll, Scottish Labour was shown to have taken its biggest lead over the SNP for almost a decade. The survey placed Labour at 36 per cent, up three points since its previous poll in October, with the SNP on 33 per cent, down four points.

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