Dec 19th, 2017
Breaking News: Scottish Tax
By Ruby Earle
BREAKING: the Scottish Government has announced plans to make tax in Scotland fairer – cutting income tax for the lowest earners, increasing it for the richest, and raising £164 million more for our hospitals, schools and roads. [1]
For the last two months, 38 Degrees members have been calling for a new tax plan in Scotland. We asked for changes to make taxes fairer, and to raise at least £200 million for Scotland’s public services. Today’s budget announcement doesn’t raise quite as much as 38 Degrees members have been calling for – but it’s pretty close! [2]
Thousands of 38 Degrees members did this. By phoning, emailing and tweeting your MSPs, signing petitions, and chipping in for opinion polling, you helped prove the majority of Scots wanted fairer tax. And you helped drown out the voices of the super rich who want to avoid paying their fair share. [3]
We don’t know everything about these plans just yet. As MSPs vote on the budget in the coming weeks and months, there may be still more to do together, to make to make this the best budget possible.
But for now we can all feel proud of what we’ve achieved. This is proof that what we do matters and makes a difference.Together we’ve helped make Scotland’s public services a bit better, and Scottish society a bit more equal.
Notes:
[1] The Herald: ‘People earning up to £33,000 a year protected from any increase’ on income tax, says Derek Mackay:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/
[2] 38 Degrees: Are you on board?:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/
[3] 38 Degrees: Scottish tax:
https://home.38degrees.org.uk/
