SNP tax is ‘can of writhing worms’ The SNP has been accused of an “unprecedented cover-up” after it emerged the party was using public money to prevent details of its local income tax plan being made public.
The Scottish Government has applied to the Court of Session on two occasions to prevent a document on the financial implications of the tax being released under freedom-of-information (FoI) legislation.
Opposition leaders accused First Minister Alex Salmond of trying to conceal the truth until after the election because of the impact on struggling households.
One described the SNP’s proposals to replace the council tax as a “can of writhing worms”.
A local income tax was one of the SNP’s main manifesto pledges in the run-up to the 2007 election.
Following an announcement two years later by Finance Secretary John Swinney that it was being shelved because of lack of parliamentary support and changing financial circumstances, a Scottish journalist asked under FoI legislation for details of the financial implications of the proposed tax.
Ministers blocked the release of the papers and took the issue to the Court of Session. Following a lengthy legal debate, the papers were handed over to Scottish information commissioner Kevin Dunion.
Mr Dunion ruled that the document should be released in the public interest because it would “contribute significantly to public understanding” of the policy and also its viability for helping to raise enough money for council services.
However, Mr Salmond lodged another appeal with the Court of Session, effectively blocking release until after the May election.
Labour leader Iain Gray said the documents must be “hugely damaging” to the SNP flagship policy.
“This is an orchestrated and unprecedented cover-up by Alex Salmond and the SNP to conceal the truth during an election campaign about how their tax plans will hammer hard-working Scottish families,” he said.
Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: “You don’t block good news. There is a can of writhing worms that Alex Salmond is going to extraordinary lengths to keep a lid on.”
Green co-convener Patrick Harvie said: “It’s no wonder Alex Salmond wants the embarrassing details locked away in a filing cabinet so the public can’t see what a shambles the SNP’s tax policy is.”
An SNP spokeswoman said the issue was not about local tax policy but whether advice to ministers should fall within the scope of FoI legislation.
The Scottish Government confirmed ministers had appealed Mr Dunion’s decision at the Court of Session and it would be inappropriate to comment pending a decision. A spokeswoman for Mr Dunion said he would be defending his decision to release the papers.
Almost nine in 10 viewers polled thought Mr Salmond won the first televised debate of the election campaign on Tuesday, according to a survey. It found 87% thought the first minister won the debate. Ms Goldie was second with 7%, while 5% backed Mr Gray and 1% Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott.
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2205016
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