30th
August 2006
McNeil
Backs UNISON Campaign to Expose the Truth about Local Income Tax
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan
McNeil, is backing a hard-hitting advertising campaign from UNISON Scotland
which exposes major flaws in opposition parties’ plans to impose a local
Income Tax on hardworking families.
Mr McNeil says the campaign
highlights unfairness of a local income-based tax, put forward in the run-up to
next year’s elections by the Liberal Democrats and SNP, which would see
hardworking families in his constituency hit hardest.
Speaking about the campaign,
Mr McNeil said:
“I am backing UNISON
Scotland’s campaign because it tells people in Greenock and Inverclyde the
truth about what they’d be paying under a local Income Tax. They
underline that the Lib Dem and SNP plans would hit hardworking families hardest
and is most likely to benefit wealthy overseas landowners.
“A couple, say a council
auditor and a newly-registered nurse, would be £171 worse off.
Families with adult children at home – even if the child is only making
apprentice wages – will be similarly hit.
At the same time, the owner of a Highland Castle, based overseas for tax
avoidance purposes, would see his £2,078 Council Tax bill slashed to zero.
“How can that be fair?
“Rather than this super-tax
on hard work, we need to make Council Tax fairer for everyone. The
Scottish Parliament’s Local Government Committee is currently looking at all
the options available to make the Council Tax fairer and I look forward to
reading the full review which is expected in October.”
The Lib Dems and SNP have
proposed a local Income Tax. This
would abolish the Council Tax and introduce an income-related charge. The
net effect of an income-related charge is that those on average incomes would
pay more. Two people individually earning average income would be
unaffected; however, when they live together their combined income is well above
the threshold laid down by the Liberals and SNP. Hardworking
families therefore pay more under this scheme.
ENDS
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