The Westminster leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been accused of hypocrisy for condemning the UK government's decision not to implement income tax cuts. Dave Doogan, the SNP's Westminster leader, criticized the government for not increasing the threshold for the income tax personal allowance, which is the amount individuals can earn before paying income tax and is a responsibility of the UK government.
However, critics point out that SNP ministers in Scotland have control over all other aspects of income tax and have introduced tax hikes. These policies mean that individuals earning more than approximately £33,500 annually pay more in income tax in Scotland than they would in other parts of the UK. The SNP government has also repeatedly frozen the thresholds for the top three income tax rates, a move that has resulted in tens of thousands of Scottish workers being pushed into higher tax brackets this year.
Doogan stated that the UK government's plan to maintain the personal allowance at £12,570, a rate set since 2021-22, will leave millions of workers £700 worse off annually, a figure projected to rise to £974 by the end of the decade. He described the freeze as a blow to struggling families facing a high cost of living.
Scottish Labour's finance spokesman, Michael Marra, echoed these criticisms, stating that the SNP often says one thing in Westminster and does another in Holyrood, the seat of the Scottish Parliament. He highlighted that the SNP government has increased taxes on working people, resulting in the highest income tax bills in the UK for those earning above £33,500. Marra suggested that if SNP politicians desire lower taxes, they should utilize their own tax powers to achieve this.
Craig Hoy, the Scottish Conservative finance spokesman, also weighed in, asserting that the SNP is not in a position to lecture others on tax policy. He stated that the SNP has consistently chosen to make Scotland a higher-taxed part of the UK by increasing income tax rates, creating new tax bands, and drawing more Scots into higher tax brackets, which he argues has harmed the Scottish economy.
According to analysis from the House of Commons Library, if the personal allowance had increased with inflation, it would be approximately £17,440 by 2030-31. The current freeze means workers could be £974 worse off by the end of the decade.
In its 2026-27 Budget, the SNP government froze the higher, advanced, and top rates of income tax. This decision is expected to lead to nearly one million workers, including those on the current median full-time salary, paying the higher rate of tax within three years. While the SNP did opt to increase the basic and intermediate rates, this measure will provide taxpayers with a maximum annual saving of £31.75, or about 61 pence per week.