Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser says local people and businesses in Perthshire will still be “paying more but getting less” in return after the SNP’s budget proposals were recently announced.
He says the SNP “missed an opportunity” to change direction away from their high-tax, free spending era but all they delivered was “more of the same.” Mr Fraser feels it is clear that the SNP have no vision for the future of the country and John Swinney is out of ideas.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay had written to the First Minister ahead of the Budget outlining tax cutting proposals that would have delivered tax cuts for workers, businesses and would-be homeowners in Perthshire, but these were rejected.
Mr Fraser says that many businesses in the region have also been “short-changed” by the SNP with 40% rates relief only passed onto hospitality businesses, but not to those in retail or leisure. He added that patients in the region will also be “appalled” that the best the SNP could offer in relation to the NHS was rehashing a pledge they had already broken months ago, in relation to waiting lists.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “This budget was a missed opportunity for the SNP. They had a great chance to go in a different direction and end their high tax, free spending era.
“Instead, all we got was more of the same. People in Perthshire will still be paying more but getting less in return under the SNP. The budget proved that the SNP have no vision for the future of the country and John Swinney is out of ideas.
“Our leader Russell Findlay had written to John Swinney outlining our fully costed, common sense tax proposals. These would have delivered a much-needed tax cut for workers, businesses and would-be homeowners in Perthshire but were quickly rejected.
“John Swinney and the other left-wing parties at Holyrood are wedded to this approach, despite the harm it is causing Scotland’s economy.
“Even though rates relief for hospitality businesses in Perthshire was welcome after years of refusing to do so, other businesses like retail and leisure ones were short-changed.”
Mr Fraser continued: “Patients in Perthshire will welcome extra NHS funding but will want to see a vision come alongside it. They will be appalled however that the best the SNP can do is to rehash a pledge on waiting lists they broke a few months ago.
“The SNP should have started to undo the damage their tax rises have caused in Perthshire but sadly still continued down the same old failed path.”
