As the Scottish Trade Union Congress general secretary, Roz Foyer, denounces the inaction of political parties on their “failure to reform the illogical and regressive Council Tax” at the STUC’s conference in Dundee, the Scottish Socialist Party has issued a reminder of the party’s record on their campaign to ‘Axe the Tax’.
SSP national trade union organiser, Richie Venton, told us:
“We share the STUC’s frustration and anger at the failures of the parties in power – or indeed the Labour opposition at Holyrood – to do anything to abolish and replace the hated Council Tax, which hammers low- and middle-income families but lets the super-rich run riot in their wealth, dodging their responsibilities to society.
“But as the huge numbers of delegates to STUC congress who bought our pamphlet ‘A Socialist Action Plan’ will already know, the SSP has fought tirelessly to Axe the Council Tax, since we were founded in 1998 – calling a national demo, holding street meetings, speaking at trade unions – with a fully costed alternative. Unlike others, we do indeed ‘make concrete demands within our manifesto on council tax’, to answer Roz Foyer’s justified demand.
“The SSP’s Scottish Service Tax is based on income, and thereby the ability to pay, with about 8 out of 10 people paying less, and for instance a worker on £30,000 only paying £810 a year, whereas the minuscule 13,000 people enjoying annual incomes above £200,000 being charged an average of £77,000 annual Scottish Service Tax.
“That’s as it should be – those who can afford it paying more to the good of society.
“And the beauty of our proposal is not only that it’s easy to collect, but that it would double the funding from taxes for local jobs and services, from £2.7 billion to £5.3 billion on last year’s figures.
“Working-class people would be better off twice, the vast majority paying less, but all enjoying vastly improved universal public services and job security.
“The SSP has simultaneously called for a 5% wealth tax on all millionaires. Even just applied to Scotland’s 10 richest families, that would have raised an addition £1.25 billion last year.
“We advocate a very simple, practical, income-based, progressive Scottish Service Tax alongside taxing the wealth of the millionaires. The two are not mutually exclusive, both are vitally important to harness the wealth of the nation for its people and public services.
“And I would issue this call to the STUC leadership; include the SSP in your plans, don’t just hold yet another summit of the politicians who have failed to act and refused to carry out their promises over the past 19-plus years.
“And we will advocate a lot more than summits; what about calling a national demonstration to Axe the Council Tax and tax the incomes and wealth of the super-rich instead?
“The SSP is ready and eager to unite with others in building such events.”