Hard-working Scots face a “tax double whammy” as Labour follow the SNP’s lead by “clobbering” them in today’s budget.
The Scottish Conservatives are warning that Rachel Reeves’ leaked tax rises, coupled with Labour’s axing of universal winter fuel payments for pensioners, will pile fresh misery on household budgets.
And shadow finance secretary Craig Hoy says the pain will be felt far worse north of the border, because Scotland is already the highest taxed part of the UK thank to SNP policies.
He accuses Labour and the SNP of putting an “intolerable strain on household budgets” with their flawed belief that hiking taxes is the solution for everything.
Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Craig Hoy said: “Rachel Reeves’ budget will condemn hard-working Scots to a tax double whammy, as Labour join the SNP Government in clobbering them.
“Keir Starmer is shamelessly breaking his pre-election promises, with a host of punishing tax rises which have already been leaked to the media.
“It’s indefensible that he has removed pensioners’ winter fuel payments at the same time as caving in to his union paymasters by agreeing inflation-busting public sector pay deals.
“Labour are desperately attempting to blame others ahead of this brutal budget, but they can’t dodge responsibility for their own warped policy choices.
“The damage caused by Labour’s eye-watering tax rises will be felt worse by Scots, because we’re already the highest taxed part of the UK thanks to years of SNP misrule.
“These left-wing parties wrongly believe that constantly raising taxes is the solution to everything. It’s not – and it’s putting intolerable strain on household budgets and stifling economic growth.”