SCOTLAND’S contribution to Treasury coffers has given England “over 14 billion reasons” to be grateful for its place in the Union, according to a new study.
Scotland’s tax contributions have increased by £14.2bn in the last decade, according to tax experts at Rift.
Pro-independence parties have said that while the figure shows the “continued strength of the Scottish economy”, Scots have been “left with nothing to show for it”.
Researchers contributed the rise to increasing rates of taxation north of the Border, the rising rate of inflation and wage growth.
Taxes on income and wealth are up by 40% in the last 10 years, according to Rift – with income tax up 71%, capital gains tax up 70% and corporation tax (excluding North Sea oil) up by 17%.
Environmental levies have also fuelled the increase. They are up a whopping 368% in the last decade.
Taxes on land and building transactions have increased by 197%.
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Bradley Post, Rift's managing director, said: “Scotland’s economic contribution to the UK stretches far beyond North Sea oil and, in fact, there has been significant increases across many areas of the Scottish economy in the last decade.
“So while the topic of Scottish independence may be a contentious one, there are over 14bn reasons why the UK should be happy that Scotland remains a part of it today.”
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson (above), chair of the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee, said the figures showed “that winning the argument for independence, and achieving independence, is more urgent and more essential than ever”.
He added: “Both Sunak and Starmer have backed a Tory budget and Tory financial rules, which will impose £18bn of cuts to public services and choke off economic growth.
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“So despite a significant increase in Scotland’s annual tax contributions we are left with nothing to show for it – Westminster isn’t working for Scotland.”
Fellow committee member Ross Greer, a Scottish Greens MSP, added: “Despite Westminster’s horrific financial mismanagement over the last 14 years, these figures show the continued strength of the Scottish economy.”
He said Scotland’s higher rates of income tax were “lifting children out of poverty and providing measures like free university tuition”.
Greer added: “So long as most economic powers remain in London, Scotland’s full potential will never be realised though. If we want our country to become all that it can be, independence is the only option.”
Kenny MacAskill (below), the Alba Party’s deputy leader, said the figures trashed the “the lie that Scotland is an economic basket case unable to stand on its own two feet”.
They proved “beyond doubt that with tax revenues to the UK having increased significantly over the last decade Scotland can more than pay its way as an independent country”, he added.
“With tax receipts from Scotland bankrolling the UK Treasury and with plans afoot to put in place the transmission infrastructure to cable Scotland’s massive offshore renewable energy resources south of the border it is little wonder the UK wants to hold onto Scotland,” said MacAskill.
“It is time for Scotland to take control of our own resources and to use these to build a prosperous economy and fair society with independence.”
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