Europe, UK (Commonwealth Union) – John Swinney has stated that the Scottish National Party (SNP) would leverage its influence at Westminster to pressure Labour into increasing taxes on workers in England.
John Swinney, has been a prominent figure in Scottish politics, serving as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999. He is a member of the SNP and has held various positions within the party, including Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023. He began his political career in the early 1980s, joining the SNP and becoming active in student politics. In 1986, he was elected to the SNP National Secretary to which he served on till 1992.
During a BBC Panorama interview with Nick Robinson, Mr Swinney discussed a variety of issues from tax, to another referendum for Scottish Independence, the oil gas sector and more.
Mr. Swinney suggested that raising taxes across the UK could be an alternative to the £18 billion in spending cuts that he warned Scots Labour is planning to implement.
“People know in Scotland that the SNP has increased taxes on higher earners,” said Mr Swinney, who has indicated that Labour winning the election across the UK is certain.
“For people who are teachers or police officers, the difference in tax is very limited, but of course there are other benefits, like the fact that people in Scotland don’t pay for university tuition or that they don’t pay for prescriptions.
However, when taxes are increased many high earners impacted by taxes may seek to avoid the increased tax burden and instead relocate to jurisdictions with lower tax rates. This can result in a brain drain. This was a factor that was addressed in the interview.
As a member of the SNP, Swinney has been a staunch advocate for Scottish independence. He played a key role in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and has consistently pushed for a second referendum on the matter. Despite the SNP’s failure to secure independence in 2014, Swinney’s has showed a continued interest in exiting the UK however the SNP has made it a clear of their intention to join the European Union and have called Brexit a mistake.
