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| Scottish independence would leave families worse off, says Gordon Brown | Scottish independence would leave families worse off, says Gordon Brown |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown has claimed that low and middle-income families in Scotland would be more than £1bn worse off if the country votes for independence, and re-elects Alex Salmond's government. | Gordon Brown has claimed that low and middle-income families in Scotland would be more than £1bn worse off if the country votes for independence, and re-elects Alex Salmond's government. |
| The former prime minister said a line-by-line comparison between the Scottish National party's tax and spending plans with Labour's offer to voters, which includes higher taxes for the wealthiest, would cost every household in Scotland £450. | The former prime minister said a line-by-line comparison between the Scottish National party's tax and spending plans with Labour's offer to voters, which includes higher taxes for the wealthiest, would cost every household in Scotland £450. |
| In a speech before Scottish Labour opened its spring conference in Perth, Brown stepped up his party's attacks on the first minister's economic policies and heavy reliance on oil revenues, in a concerted effort to portray the SNP as the party of business and the better off. | In a speech before Scottish Labour opened its spring conference in Perth, Brown stepped up his party's attacks on the first minister's economic policies and heavy reliance on oil revenues, in a concerted effort to portray the SNP as the party of business and the better off. |
| "Everyone knows the SNP cannot afford all of their promises. But what has become clear is that when it comes to a choice, they prefer giving business tax cuts and money to the richest Scottish energy companies than cash to Scottish families," Brown said. | "Everyone knows the SNP cannot afford all of their promises. But what has become clear is that when it comes to a choice, they prefer giving business tax cuts and money to the richest Scottish energy companies than cash to Scottish families," Brown said. |
| He singled out Salmond's reluctance to promise a new 50p upper rate of income tax or introduce a "mansions tax" for larger homes; while Salmond's deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, said a 50p rate is the party's "instinct", she has refused to commit to that policy before the 2016 Scottish elections. | He singled out Salmond's reluctance to promise a new 50p upper rate of income tax or introduce a "mansions tax" for larger homes; while Salmond's deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, said a 50p rate is the party's "instinct", she has refused to commit to that policy before the 2016 Scottish elections. |
| He added that the SNP government in Edinburgh had rejected Labour's pledge to freeze energy prices until 2017; that would cost Scottish households £118m. Cutting corporation tax to 3% below the UK rate would lose £300m from onshore companies or £700m if North Sea oil companies were included. And after independence, Scotland faced losing £420m in UK pensions payments, he said. | He added that the SNP government in Edinburgh had rejected Labour's pledge to freeze energy prices until 2017; that would cost Scottish households £118m. Cutting corporation tax to 3% below the UK rate would lose £300m from onshore companies or £700m if North Sea oil companies were included. And after independence, Scotland faced losing £420m in UK pensions payments, he said. |
| Risking immediate attack from his opponents for presiding over the 2008 financial crash, Brown claimed the independence referendum was not just a choice between yes and no, "it is about Labour's fairness versus the SNP's unfairness", he said. "Under the SNP, in an independent Scotland, we can show that inequality will rise, and injustice to poor areas will widen," he added. | Risking immediate attack from his opponents for presiding over the 2008 financial crash, Brown claimed the independence referendum was not just a choice between yes and no, "it is about Labour's fairness versus the SNP's unfairness", he said. "Under the SNP, in an independent Scotland, we can show that inequality will rise, and injustice to poor areas will widen," he added. |
| The SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said Brown's claims were "desperate stuff", and reminiscent of Scottish Labour's discredited claims that voters would be £500 worse off if the SNP were elected in 2007. | |
| "Over the past five years, Scotland's finances have been stronger than the UK's to the tune of £8.3bn or nearly £1,600 per person in Scotland - and the figures also show that Scotland has now generated more tax per head than the UK as a whole for every single one of the last 33 years - this is the true cost of the Westminster system to Scotland. | |
| "This is a tried and failed tactic form Labour; in 2007 they claimed Scots would be £500 per person worse off if the SNP was elected - their pie in the sky sums were rubbish then and they are rubbish now." | |
| Brown's attack, which will be followed on Friday by a concerted attack on Salmond and SNP from the UK Labour party leader, Ed Miliband, suggests Scottish Labour is unnerved by the ground being gained by the independence movement and SNP in urban areas of Scotland. | |
| Insisting that far gloomier oil revenues predictions from the Office for Budget Responsibilty made it inevitable that an independent Scotland would be forced to cut spending or raise taxes sharply, he said: "There is only one inevitability with SNP plans. If we don't get the benefit from Labour's tax changes and lose the transfers from the UK inequality will rise in Scotland and under their policies it will end up being worse than in the rest of the United Kingdom." | Insisting that far gloomier oil revenues predictions from the Office for Budget Responsibilty made it inevitable that an independent Scotland would be forced to cut spending or raise taxes sharply, he said: "There is only one inevitability with SNP plans. If we don't get the benefit from Labour's tax changes and lose the transfers from the UK inequality will rise in Scotland and under their policies it will end up being worse than in the rest of the United Kingdom." |