Taxing issues put SNP’s critics on spot

The CBI north of the Border is an increasingly unrepresentative Tory-leaning body, whose blinkered objections to the SNP’s ambitious proposals may be depressing but are not representative of a great many in our successful business community.

But then there’s the Scottish Trades Union Congress; a staunchly Labour-supporting organisation which, quelle surprise, raises objections to the further transfer of fiscal functions to Edinburgh.

What have all of these organisations got in common? Well, they’re predominantly unionist in their outlook and it naturally follows that their input to the debate is tainted by a desire to hold Scotland within the union, whatever the cost.

One thing that unites the vast majority of Scots, irrespective of whether or not they support full independence, is the strong desire for further powers to be transferred to Scotland; including far greater control over tax and the economy. This was demonstrated succinctly by May’s Holyrood election result.

Unionist parties ignore this fact at their peril. All would do well to clear out the old guard from their stuffy boardrooms and start representing the mainstream opinions of our population, rather than the narrow, one-foot-in-the-past stance of those who are increasing becoming a minority in Scottish society.

David Balfour

Craobhraid na Coilltich

Inverness

AS FIRST Minister’s questions got under way yesterday, it was evident that some things never change (your report, 8 September). Yesterday’s politicians asking yesterday’s questions! Opposition leaders (meantime) peddling the same old questions on independence and a future referendum. What part of the SNP manifesto commitment on a future constitutional referendum do they not understand.

With a referendum scheduled for the second term of this parliament, which incidentally is a five-year term, it beggars belief that opposition parties are unable to press the First Minister on more current issues.

Meanwhile, you report economists lobbying Westminster to “Scrap the 50p tax rate for 1 per cent of earners in the country” (8 September). What are those economists thinking about suggesting tax cuts for the richest, while those on moderate and low earnings are taking a massive hit to their cost of living, paying for coalition mismanagement of the economy and massive bonuses to the bankers.

The coalition’s response, and I quote, “the 50p tax rate is only a temporary measure”. That would be temporary hardship to the majority in the coalition cabinet who are millionaires. Talk about a greedy, selfish society, a society that the Tories’ partners in coalition, the Liberal Democrats are fully compliant with … or are they.

Danny Alexander, a senior coalition Lib Dem, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr that cutting the 50p income tax rate was in “cloud cuckoo land”.

It would do Chancellor George Osborne and his rich colleagues no harm if they were to expend their energies going after those fraudsters who are evading paying tax, costing the country more each year than benefit cheats ever do.

Should there be any spare capacity, a cut in VAT would be more welcome, benefiting many, not just 1 per cent of the workforce.

While many are in hardship, sitting in silence, dreading the winter fuel costs that are to follow, it beggars belief and would be totally immoral to axe this 50p tax.

Catriona C Clark

Hawthorn Drive

Banknock, Falkirk