By David Scott in Edinburgh
27 November 2007
Scotland would be given new powers to set its own income tax rate under radical proposals announced by the UK government.
Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy described the plan – outlined in a white paper published on November 25 – as the ‘most radical change to the nation’s finances since the Barnett Formula 30 years ago’.
But Murphy immediately came under attack from the Scottish National Party administration in Edinburgh after he admitted that a Bill would not be published until after the general election if Labour is returned to power.
Scottish constitution minister Michael Russell described the finance plan as ‘disappointing’ but said other proposals on which there was a consensus should be implemented without delay.
‘If they are the right thing to do… we should be delivering them as quickly as possible, not kicking them into the Westminster long grass,’ he said.
Russell claimed ‘so-called borrowing powers’ promised by the UK government were ‘nothing of the sort and not even what Calman proposed’.
The white paper, containing Westminster’s reaction to the Calman Commission recommendations, emerged just days before the Scottish Government was due to publish – on November 30 – its proposals for a referendum on independence.
The majority of the Calman proposals have been accepted by the UK government.
27 November 2007
Scotland would be given new powers to set its own income tax rate under radical proposals announced by the UK government.
Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy described the plan – outlined in a white paper published on November 25 – as the ‘most radical change to the nation’s finances since the Barnett Formula 30 years ago’.
But Murphy immediately came under attack from the Scottish National Party administration in Edinburgh after he admitted that a Bill would not be published until after the general election if Labour is returned to power.
Scottish constitution minister Michael Russell described the finance plan as ‘disappointing’ but said other proposals on which there was a consensus should be implemented without delay.
‘If they are the right thing to do… we should be delivering them as quickly as possible, not kicking them into the Westminster long grass,’ he said.
Russell claimed ‘so-called borrowing powers’ promised by the UK government were ‘nothing of the sort and not even what Calman proposed’.
The white paper, containing Westminster’s reaction to the Calman Commission recommendations, emerged just days before the Scottish Government was due to publish – on November 30 – its proposals for a referendum on independence.
The majority of the Calman proposals have been accepted by the UK government.
