Commenting on the Chancellor’s statement, Grahame Smith, Scottish Trades Union Congress General Secretary said:
“The current focus on inheritance tax is profoundly distasteful in a nation struggling to meet its child poverty targets. At least the Chancellor should be commended for not stooping to engage in an auction of virtue with the Tories whose proposals brazenly target only the very wealthiest households.
“The Chancellor’s action in respect of private equity is welcome, if overdue, and we anticipate that the consultation on non-domiciled taxpayers will result in the very richest paying a fairer share of their wealth in taxation.
“The time is now ripe to open up a national debate about taxation in the UK. We urgently need to examine whether overall levels are sufficient to meet the demands of a mature western democracy.
“The CSR settlement is, as was generally anticipated, tight. The Scottish Government must now work to ensure that key services are protected in the forthcoming Scottish budget. The STUC encourages the Scottish Government not to adopt the further efficiency savings announced today that are bound to have an unwelcome impact on the quality of public services”.
ENDS
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