The Scottish Conservatives today said Labour’s tax-raising budget will hammer workers and businesses already reeling from years of SNP tax hikes.
Leader Russell Findlay described Labour’s budget plans as “straight out of the SNP playbook”, which saw Nicola Sturgeon and her successors make Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK.
He said Rachel Reeves had further increased the pain on Scots “by breaking Labour’s election promises not to raise taxes”.
The Chancellor’s statement outlined an eye-watering £40billion in tax rises, including hikes in employers’ national insurance contributions and capital gains tax, along with an end to investment allowances in the North Sea.
The budget came in the wake of the Chancellor and the Prime Minister having already ditched universal winter fuel payments for pensioners, while agreeing double-digit public-sector pay deals with Labour’s union paymasters.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “We know what Sir Keir Starmer is going as for Halloween – Nicola Sturgeon.
“Labour’s tax-raising budget is straight out of the SNP playbook and will terrify hard-working Scots.
“Starmer’s Labour have played a cruel trick on working people by breaking election promises not to raise taxes, just like the nationalists in Edinburgh.
“Anas Sarwar calls Rachel Reeves his ‘friend’, but many in Scotland won’t feel that way when Labour snatch more of their hard-earned money.
“Labour’s budget will hammer businesses, punish strivers, and leave pensioners worse off. This is not the change they promised – this is the same old Labour.
“It’s basic common sense to keep taxes low so we that we reward aspiration, encourage economic growth and workers can choose themselves what’s best for their families.”