John Swinney has been urged to rule out tax rises for Scottish workers after the UK Labour government opened the door to higher bills this week.
At First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said John Swinney should be “ashamed” that workers were “worse off” under the SNP.
Findlay highlighted figures from the Office for National Statistics showing that households in Scotland had less disposable income in real terms than in 2007.
He said workers faced a potential “double whammy of tax rises” in the upcoming SNP and Labour budgets.
Findlay also said the SNP should reverse their cuts to Scotland’s colleges, which have reduced opportunities for young people and harmed the economy.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “Official statistics show that people in Scotland are worse off than when John Swinney and the SNP came to power 18 years ago.
“All John Swinney has to offer Scotland is higher bills and worse public services.
“SNP cuts mean fewer people going to college, learning new skills, and advancing their careers.
“Cutting college funding limits opportunities for young people and harms our economy.
“The SNP’s chaotic and irresponsible economic approach means there’s less money for schools, hospitals, roads and everything else that needs fixed.
“Public services keep declining yet taxes, household bills and everyday costs continue to rise.
“In the upcoming Labour and SNP budgets, workers could face a double whammy of tax rises.
“John Swinney refused to rule out even higher bills for Scottish workers and families.
“Yet again, the SNP seem to be preparing a reckless tax raid on hardworking Scots.”
Notes
Household disposal income in Scotland has fallen since 2007. In the latest year for which we have data (2023), disposable household income per person stood at £22,908 in Scotland. When adjusting Scotland’s 2007 disposable household income per person for inflation, the figure is £22,984. This means disposal household income has fallen in real terms since 2007. (Regional gross disposable household income: all International Territorial Level (ITL) regions, 10 September 2025, link; Bank of England Inflation Calculator, Accessed 24 September 2025, link).
On Good Morning Britain, on 29 September 2025, Rachel Reeves was asked 12 times whether she would raise taxes. She replied that ‘the manifesto stands’ and that she was ‘determined not to increase those key taxes.’ When this was taken as a commitment not to raise taxes, Reeves clarified that she was ‘explaining why [she] made those commitments.’ Pressed again to give a yes-or-no answer, she repeated: ‘the manifesto stands.’ (Good Morning Britian, 29 September 2025, link).
Most Scottish workers pay more in income tax than they would if they lived elsewhere in the UK. According to ONS, the average Scottish worker earned £31,836 on average in 2024. Uprating this for average wage increases forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility, this means the average salary of a Scottish worker will be £33,205 in 2025. This is nearly £3,000 more than the threshold at which Scottish workers start paying more income tax than they would in the rest of the UK. (Earnings and hours worked, UK region by public and private sector: ASHE Table 25, 29 October 2024, link; Scottish Income Tax Fact Sheet 2025 to 2026, 4 December 2024, link).