17/03/2016 Scotland 2016

No tax cut for high earners in Scotland.

Are we set to become the highest taxed part of the UK?

The SNP, Labour and Lib Dems all say they wouldn't implement

the Chancellor's tax cut for higher earners here.

What more can they do to balance their budgets?

And just how should we greet a foreign leader with a dubious

A tax cut for those on the highest incomes is "the wrong choice",

Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs earlier today she wouldn't implement

the Chancellor's plans to raise the threshold for

Scottish Labour and the Lib Dems are also against George Osborne's

But the Scottish Conservatives leader warned that a higher rate

of tax in Scotland might depress the economy.

When our schools are facing cuts and thousands of people are losing their

jobs, a tax cut for high earners cannot be the priority. When the

powers are devolved next year, Scottish Labour would raise it --

reversed this tax cut for the top 15%. Canny First Minister confirm

whether the SNP would do the same? First Minister. We will set out

there are detailed income tax proposals next week. These will be

proposals that will be based on our judgment for what is correct for

Scotland now and then the long-term. But let me be absolutely clear

today. A large tax cut for 10% actually of the population, those on

the highest incomes, at a time when support for the disabled is being

cut and at a time when our public services are under pressure, it is

in my view, the wrong choice. What is detailed analysis has she

published on how we use these new tax powers to strengthen Scotland's

economy? As I have said to Kezia Dugdale, we

will set out our proposals on income tax early next week, that is in a

few days' time, and yet, it seems to me from what Ruth Davidson is

telling us, she does not propose to use them at all, she will simply

mimic George or spawn, that is the wrong choice for Scotland.

I am clear, I want a sign at the border, I do not want to see a sign

that says higher taxes year, that is the wrong choice for Scotland and I

cannot be only one who things that. Jack Perry, the former chief

executive of Scottish enterprise but there's this morning, a father tax

grab will only begin our tax base and depress the economy. That will

do nothing to help support schools, hospitals and an ageing population.

-- further. With me now is the SNP's

George Adam and in Edinburgh is the Scottish Conservatives'

Alex Johnstone. Good evening to both of you. George

Adam, if the SNP forms the next government, will we have that sign

at the border? We have to look at what the First

Minister said today that it was the wrong decision to make for the West

Munster government to do. When you are talking about disabled people,

?130 billion have been cut in disability benefits, that is 40,000

people in Scotland who are disabled who might not even get personal

independent payments. -- Westminster. But it will mean

that Scotland is the highest taxed part in the UK, are you comfortable

with that? The first Mr Cors mention that the

Scottish Government offer free 's prescriptions and feature Ishant

fees. There is a lot that Scotland has that they do not have them said.

-- as the first Mr Lijun. It is about what we want to do and what

nation we want to be, I agree with the First Minister, it is about

making sure that in these that good times we are in a position to look

after our own. Alex Johnstone, this is about

priorities. Why do you think the wealthiest 15% of the population

deserve a tax cut? Firstly, I do not believe that

people in Scotland should be taxed more highly than the rest of the UK.

Why do you think the wealthiest deserve a tax cut?

Firstly you have to look at the fact that higher rate of tax has been

creeping down the wage deals over the years. When it was introduced

that was one out of 20 people that pay debt, now it is one out of every

six. People are trying to raise families on a single income who are

up against that limit and paying a higher rate of tax. But also,

remember, if you look at those people at the very top end, the high

earners, we are talking about people like consultant surgeons who we are

short of an hour hospitals, top research is that they want to come

and work in our universities. That type of people will look at the

prospects of working in Scotland and possibly decide it could be better

to work elsewhere. That is why competition is so important and why

we must make sure that we do not enter into a tax arrangement that

discourages people from coming here. We need these people. George Adam,

we might seeing brain drain, people choosing to be Scotland are not come

here in the first place. It is about the values and what we

do here. I cannot believe that with the current cuts that have been made

to the Scottish Government's budget by the Westminster government, that

Alex Johnstone can sit there and tell us it is a good thing going

forward. You only have to look, the only Tory Chancellor to do something

similar to this was Nigel Lawson in 1989 during the height of

Thatcherism. They are currently worse than Margaret Thatcher and

that is what we have no from this Tory government.

Alex Johnstone, do you support the Chancellor's ?1.3 billion cut to

disability payments question mark it is essential that we match

expenditure to the money that we can raise within the economy.

So you support those cuts? There is a lot going in this current

budget that has not come to light. In Scotland, we will benefit by ?650

million out of this. The North Sea oil and gas industry have had

massive changes to the industry that will help to tide it over.

Your own colleague and the Conservatives, Andrew Percy, he has

said that this hits the wrong people and sent up the wrong message about

the priorities of the government, is he wrong?

The message in Scotland is that the UK Government has had the right

priorities and we need to remember that if we get this wrong, the

economy will go into decline and everyone will suffer.

How can it be the correct priorities when 40,000 people in Scotland on

personal Independence Payments will go through a process that will just

make them a number and they will have their independence cut by this

Westminster government, that is not fair or the right way forward.

That is why we have taken the opportunity to fit devolve certain

welfare powers to ensure that Scotland can decide how it

prioritises its expenditure and not simply blame Westminster for that

issue. Looking at the proposals as they

stand, George Adam, economist David Bell has told us that higher earners

in Scotland will also have to pay 12% national insurance and older

earnings reach George or spawn's new starting level for the Hiya rate. So

they will not just benefit from this tax cut, they will have to pay more.

And you confident that will be popular?

-- Hiya rate. I think that the ongoing Scottish Government support

that we have got out there are in place at the moment is important.

The likes of the free tuition, issues that the first Mr brought up

today. These are all valued by the people in Scotland and I believe

that the people in Scotland know the difficult times that we are living

in and actually believe that there comes a time when we have to work

together to ensure that we support those in a society that need our

help. This is a case of once again,

Westminster being on the wrong side of the argument. Alex Johnstone, how

will you sell this on the doorsteps when people in your party are

criticising George Osborne over cuts to disability at the same time as

cutting taxes for the wealthiest? It will be easy to sell this to

people who do not believe that we should pay more tax in Scotland than

in the rest of the United Kingdom. It is important to remember that

with taxation, it is always a consensual element to the pain of

tax. That means that if we do not have the agreement of people, then

they will look for ways to avoid paying tax on the way that they

should. And if you raise tax levels in Scotland, what you will find is

that more people will choose to change the tax arrangement so that

BP corporation tax instead. Would you like to see the Scottish

Parliament using its powers to top up these disability payments?

I am very interested to see the proposals that are brought forward.

I think we will have opportunities to top these up.

Is that a yes? It is a conditional yes based on the fact that it must

be financed by growth in the Scottish economy and not by

increasing taxation in a way that will actually reverse growth in the

Scottish economy. George, what can they expect next

week when the SNP sets out that tax plans, more bad news for higher

earners? More of what the Scottish Government

and the First Minister said today, the tax cut, they have mentioned it

has the wrong time and place for us to do that and it affects the wrong

people. We have to look at the fact that I am the national patron for

the Scottish disability Forum and they will be the people that will

suffer under this Tory government and the other people they will to.

George Adams and Alex Johnstone, thank you. -- George Adam.

According to the public spending watchdog, Scottish councils face

So far, despite a real terms fall in income,

they've managed to balance the books by implementing cuts,

but Audit Scotland has now warned that this won't be enough

So are crumbling services and increasing privatisation

There was a time when services like the public library run by your local

council were offered a standard. These days, that kind of thing is

almost seen as more of a luxury as cash-strapped local authorities face

having to cut what they do, often sparking protests. Today came a

stark warning from the public spending watchdog about more funding

cuts to councils. Whether you are a local council in charge of running

services in a big city like Edinburgh or perhaps a more rural

part of Scotland, the financial challenges are exactly the same.

This report results of those challenges. It has said that in the

financial edge 2016 to 2017, the amount of revenue funding provided

to local councils by the Scottish Government has been cut by 5%. If

you go back to the year 2010 to 2011, the report has said that the

total cut now months to 11%. And that could be a big problem because

councils get almost 60% of their funding from the Scottish

Government. There has been a part of reduction

in funding for Local Government Minister opt-in for the last six or

seven years and the year ahead is a further step in that direction. What

we have seen over the longer period is the councils have coped well with

those changes. But given the expectation that more of that will

come any future and perhaps in bigger doses, on an angle basis, we

think we have to take a different approach to how the design and

deliver services the public. They cannot carry on doing what they are

doing as well as they have done it, it is just not sustainable.

So, how our savings being made? The reduction in hours for

particular facilities including things like libraries and swimming

centres and sports centres, closing on Sundays, we have seen some

councils try and reduce the school week. Perth and can scan I was last

week they were going to alter the measurement they made of potholes in

order to determine whether they can actually repair them. They will

increase the kind of required benchmark measurement from 400

nanometres to 600 millimetres for the repair them. Those are the kind

of things that are going on at the moment.

# Kinloss. Aside from measuring potholes, or

other more argued with vital services at risk? Aberdeen City

Council's Labour leader has said that it will boot at school and

social work budgets whilst maintaining services.

It is not long ago that Aberdeen had cuts of ?127 million in the city.

People cannot withstand that again. We have these they had to look at in

which we can make sure that we are financially as sound as we can be,

but we need national government to come in and make sure that we have

the flexibility to make decisions ourselves, which will help protect

front line services in the future. But one of the issues with Audit

Scotland's figures as the national government does not accept them.

I think this Audit Scotland report has used some unconventional

accounting, different from the approach of the Scottish Government

took out leading figures and it is different to the Scottish

Parliament's information Centre's approach. There are challenges

facing local governor, both in the past and in the years to come, but

they have to do with it to be that the entire public sector has dealt

with at the very sound budget management and making some difficult

choices in the face of Westminster austerity.

Audit Scotland has said that councils must deal with the problem

by delivering services in a different way, like outsourcing and

collaborating with others. Amid predictions of more funding cuts,

local authorities may not have many other options. Andrew Black

reporting. Tens of thousands of college

students had lectures cancelled today after teaching staff went

on strike across Scotland Unions say the action has

been a long time coming, with its members also unhappy

with college budgets Colleges had appealed

for the strike to be called off. I spoke to our education

correspondent, Jamie McIvor. What is this the spirit all about?

It is a pay dispute, but there are several different dimensions to it.

One is the 1% pay rise which the EIS further education lecturers

Association is unhappy with. The second is the issue of the disparity

between different colleges. For 20 years or so there was no national

pay marketing in colleges sold large differences emerged in the rates of

pay at different allergies. According to the EIS, there are

differences of ?12,000 a year in what people are yearning for doing

very similar jobs. It is worth pointing out that in Glasgow the

dispute is over a slightly different issue, that colleges have not

rejoined the national pay bargaining, so lecturers are

striking to persuade colleges to do just that. How are negotiations

going? Is unlikely there will be a settlement soon? This dispute has

its origins 14 or 15 months ago, so it has been building for quite some

time. To give one example, it has been on the cards since before

Christmas that industrial action was at least a serious possibility.

There was an unofficial indicative ballot before Christmas which showed

strong support for the idea of strike action, and three months

later here we are with the strike finally taking place. More talks are

expected to take place tomorrow afternoon between the EIS and

colleges Scotland which represents the colleges as employers. Obviously

it has caused a great deal of destruction, lots of students have

missed lectures. Do you think we will see a lot more walk-outs in the

coming weeks? Certainly if there is no progress there will be many more

strikes. Many dates have already been set. The plan is for two more

strikes next week, and if the dispute is not solved by the end of

April, it really gets serious. Three days of industrial action every week

through the end of April, May and June. That is the period covering

the Scottish election as well. So that is certainly the threat that is

lying there if the dispute is not solved. I get the impression that

lecturers don't really want to be taking that the mode of industrial

action, especially through exam season. On the other hand, they know

they can strike while the irony is hard. This is a time when there will

be a lot of pressure to settle the dispute. The last thing the Scottish

Government would want is an industrial dispute like this running

through the election campaign. Thank you very much.

The president of Ghana visited Holyrood today

amid concerns over his country's record on human rights.

The Scottish government says the First Minister

Nicola Sturgeon discussed the rights of gay Ghanians

Homosexual behaviour is illegal in Ghana.

Amnesty Scotland says the lesbian and gay community faces

Scotland Programme Director for Amnesty International,

Naomi McAuliffe, joins me now from Edinburgh.

What are your concerns about human rights in Ghana? We have documented

a lot of human rights abuses in Ghana, from the use of torture and

ill-treatment, widespread violence against women, including hundreds of

women being accused of witchcraft and banished to camps around the

country. Although there have been assurances from the Government that

these camps will because, we know women are still being held there.

Last year there was a brutal repression of a peaceful march, the

use of tear gas and batons. Also the criminalisation of gay sexual

conduct between men and physical violence being perpetrated against

LGBT people within Ghana. So presumably you are happy that the

First Minister specifically raise that issue with the president today?

Yes, that is very positive. Obviously we would like to know more

about what was said, if any assurances or commitments have been

given. We would like to follow it up on the ground to see if there has

been a positive impact on there. Also we know this will be an ongoing

relationship between Ghana and Scotland. There may be deals with

the oil and gas industry, with academic training links. So this is

not just about one conversation. It is about how we can continue to look

for human rights progress in Ghana with all the relations we have with

them. Do you think that it is important that a constructive

conversation is maintained? Patrick Hardy and some other MSP has decided

to stay away today. Do you think boycotts are affected? I totally

understand why politicians of decide not to meet with those who are from

repressive regimes. We respect that decisions. We tell politicians who

do meet with these dignitaries to raise those kind of concerns. It is

about making the decision as to whether you can make a positive

impact and if not whether it is necessary to walk away from those

kind of relationships. But in every single circumstance, that kind of

assessment has to be made. Thank you.

Here with me to talk about that and some of the day's other news

are Andrea Mullaney and Magnus Gardham.

Just sticking with that story, Liam Smith from Aberdeen Chambers of

commerce was a little more welcoming to the Guinean president. The

president is coming here because he recognises the skills and expertise

and technical knowledge that the businesses that operate in the North

Sea can bring to that market. Andrea, what do you think is the

best way to deal with somebody who has a human rights record you don't

approve of what you want to do business with them? I think it is a

tricky balance to strike. Clearly there has been some progress made in

Ghana in recent years. But there is such a long way to go. It is really

a matter of conscience, and I understand why the Greens decided

not to meet with them today, and why the meet and greet with opposition

leaders was cancelled. But if we are going to engage with them, I agree

that it has to be something that is raised at every opportunity, not

just... Sometimes I worry that when somebody says, as Nicola Sturgeon

did today, I am going to raise the issue, is it just a question of

mentioning it once and getting the response of, well, we are doing our

best, and then just dropping it? It can't just be that. We have made a

lot of progress in Scotland over these issues, particularly to do

with LGBT rates. It is not enough to say, we are OK here, so everyone

else can fend for themselves. But it is a tricky balance. If you invite

someone to the parliament there is a level of decorum there, and I think

you have to do engage with them properly, not just shut them out

completely. What do you think, Magnus, about how the First Minister

has dealt with this today? I think the most important thing is that the

First Minister did address this. I agree with the point Amnesty

International is making that this is the best way to effect change. Dan

is a country we should be doing buzzers with. It is a Commonwealth

country, stable country. -- Ghana is a country we should be doing

business with. We have lots of interesting comment. I think it did

no harm at all that there were some pointed stairs, some notable

absences. I think that probably underlines the message that we

believe the First Minister was getting across. It sends a signal

that there are issues that we are uncomfortable with, that we

disapprove of. Well, the president is getting an honorary doctorate

from the University of Aberdeen tomorrow. They are saying they took

into account his work on child poverty, the role he has played in

the fight against Ebola. Is that fair enough, do good thing, or are

you uncomfortable with that? I think stating these people who, let's face

it, are at the very least not stopping some of these excesses if

not contributing to them is a step too far. I wonder about honorary

doctorates. Robert Mugabe was given an honorary doctorate, which people

had to backpedal and withdrawal. It is very dicey to set somebody up,

especially when the are still in office, because you never know what

they will do next. I often wonder if perhaps honorary doctorate should be

reserved for people who have retired. Yes, we have seen a lot of

regrets in that regard in recent years. Do you think sometimes we can

preach a bit too much about these kind of things? Different countries

develop at different rates. Who are we to say exactly what is right and

wrong? I think that is a great question. I think we need to be very

sensitive about this. Yeah, we can recognise there are deep cultural

taboos in some countries against on the sexuality which will make the

rate of progress difficult for leaders there to achieve. But I

think we should see these as challenges to overcome. Rather

than... Human rights is not some quaint local tradition that is there

to be nurtured and cherished, but equally, getting back to your

question, it is something that we should do from a position of

humility. We should remember and recognise our own struggle as a

society to become more inclusive ourselves. And if we need a

reminder, you need only with back sitcoms from the 1970s. I think

provided we approach it in that way, we are not preaching. Let's move on

to the debate on tax which is really hotting up. It is set to become the

issue of the Hollywood election. -- Holyrood election. Only the Scottish

Conservatives are supporting the Chancellor's plan to raise the tax

threshold. I think people forget how few people actually earn that out of

money. It is less than 10%. Yes, George Osborne was talking about

middle earners, but it is not really earners. No, you are very much in a

luxurious privileged position earning that much money. People in

that position have a responsibility to do their share, and they have

been let off the hook for a number of years. This is a very small

increase for a very small amount of people. It is not actually an ink

use, it is not a cot, let's put it like that. If we want the symbolic

services, everyone to maintain our public services from falling apart

which some of them are on the verge of doing, we need to pay tax. -- if

we want to maintain our public services. Magnus, do you think we

are seeing the direction of travel? Do you think we should should expect

high earners to hit a bit more when the SNP unveiled their plans next

week? Yes, it is still up in the air the extent to which they will unveil

their lands. I am slightly sceptical that John Swinney will want to set

out tax thresholds down to the pounds the last year before he has

do deliver his budget. But I think we will get the direction of travel

and I think that is the direction we will be going on. Will it be

radically different from what is happening at Westminster? I am not

so sure. We are yet to find out whether people in Scotland and

people in England are ready to embrace wildly different tax

regimes. I'm not so sure that they are. There are a lot of people

waiting and perhaps hoping that this election will tell us that, and your

right to say that tax is going to be the issue that is debated at the

heart of this election, but I'm not so sure... I think there are unusual

circus fancies -- circumstances. I think a lot of people will be making

their minds up, frankly, based on the fact that they like and trust

the Turgeon. So I think Nicola Sturgeon's mobile phone and the

number of selfie she takes might be as important as tax. Do you think we

will see people actually leaving Scotland, high earners, who have the

choice to leave? It is ?400. But maybe the thin edge of the wedge,

the idea that this is a sign of more attacks to come? It is not as if

there is nothing to gain from it. If we get better public services

hopefully people recognise we have to pay for those. If you want to see

a better NHS, better transport and those things. That is all we have

got time for, I'm afraid. That's it for tonight

and for this week. Andrew's back with you on Monday,

so join him then, usual time. You and I,

we're going to change this country. You run, and hopefully win,

elected office not just for the sake of

being something, I knew that seven presidents had

tried, seven presidents had failed. He said, "I am

President of the United States, A BBC Two exclusive with

the president and his team... When you've had enough of the speed

and the pace... ..we'll connect you to

a happier place.