Latest news with #Foyer
STV News
6 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Report finds top 2% of households have 18% of wealth in Scotland
The wealthiest households in Scotland have on average £1.7m in total wealth, while in comparison the least wealthy had just £7,600, a new report has revealed. With the figures showing the wealthiest 2% of households have almost a fifth (18%) of wealth in Scotland, campaigners said the data highlighted 'the vast scale of unfairness in Scotland today'. The report looked at wealth in Scotland – which includes the physical wealth of households' belongings, as well as savings and investment, property and pension wealth. The latest data, for the period 2018 to 2020, showed median household wealth in Scotland stood at £214,000 – with this down from £242,700 in 2016 to 2018 and £250,700 in 2014 to 2016. The report, which was published by the Scottish Government, noted: 'A typical household in the wealthiest 10% of households had £1.7m in total wealth, whereas a typical household in the least wealthy 10% of households had £7,600.' It added: 'The least wealthy households rarely own property or have any private pension savings. Their wealth is mainly made up of the value of their possessions such as cars, furniture and clothing.' The report also noted that wealth can 'vary a lot by age', saying that 'younger households are less likely to have much or even any pension or property wealth, and most of their wealth is made up of the value of their belongings (physical wealth)'. It added: 'In general, people start building up wealth once they start receiving a salary, buy some goods, maybe save some money, and pay into a private pension scheme such as a workplace pension. 'Many buy a home, and through paying off their mortgage they build property wealth.' Meanwhile when people retire, the report said that 'pension wealth gets drawn upon and used up, while some people also downsize their homes and reduce their property wealth'. However campaigners at Tax Justice Scotland – which wants Holyrood's powers to be used to deliver greater equality – insisted changes are needed to 'share wealth more fairly'. Speaking on behalf of the group Scottish Trades Union Congress, general secretary Roz Foyer said: 'These figures show the vast scale of unfairness in Scotland today. 'Whilst those at the top accumulate more wealth, more than one in five children grow up in poverty and our public services are starved of the investment they urgently need. This cannot go on.' Ms Foyer demanded: 'We need urgent tax reform to help share wealth more fairly and to distribute resources right across the country. 'Over time, public finance pressures mean that most of us may need to pay a bit more, but this data makes clear this must start with those at the very top. 'In Scotland, that means parties must set out clear plans to scrap Council Tax and replace it with a fairer, modern property tax. 'At the UK level, we also need common sense wealth taxes that ensure the richest pay their fair share.' She insisted: 'It's time for our political leaders to step up with serious tax plans to help close this growing wealth gap and to invest in creating a fairer, more prosperous future for all of us.' Scottish Green equalities spokeswoman Maggie Chapman criticised the 'obscene inequality in these statistics', adding: 'There is a small number of people who are very well off, and a far greater number who have very little.' She added: 'Scotland has a very long way to go if we are to build a fairer society, and this must be a clarion call for change.' Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said that 'so many people are finding that there is nothing left at the end of the month'. He said: 'People are paying the price for the SNP's incompetence and Liz Truss and the Conservatives crashing the economy.' Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'As a result of Scottish Government policies, the poorest 10% of households with children are estimated to be £2,600 a year better off in 2025-2026.' However, she added: 'Inequality is still too high, with too many economic powers left in the hands of the UK Government which has too often sought to balance the books on the backs of the poorest. 'With the full powers of independence, Scotland could do more to take a different approach from the UK status quo, and take decisions which would make Scotland the fairer, more equal country that we want to see.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
Richest Scottish households have one fifth of country's wealth
With the figures showing the wealthiest 2% of households have almost a fifth (18%) of wealth in Scotland, campaigners said the data highlighted 'the vast scale of unfairness in Scotland today'. The report looked at wealth in Scotland – which includes the physical wealth of households' belongings, as well as savings and investment, property and pension wealth. The latest data, for the period 2018 to 2020, showed median household wealth in Scotland stood at £214,000 – with this down from £242,700 in 2016 to 2018 and £250,700 in 2014 to 2016. READ MORE: Palestinian journalists 'reporting on own extermination' call for action The report, which was published by the Scottish Government, noted: 'A typical household in the wealthiest 10% of households had £1.7 million in total wealth, whereas a typical household in the least wealthy 10% of households had £7,600.' It added: 'The least wealthy households rarely own property or have any private pension savings. Their wealth is mainly made up of the value of their possessions such as cars, furniture and clothing.' The report also noted that wealth can 'vary a lot by age', saying that 'younger households are less likely to have much or even any pension or property wealth, and most of their wealth is made up of the value of their belongings (physical wealth)'. It added: 'In general, people start building up wealth once they start receiving a salary, buy some goods, maybe save some money, and pay into a private pension scheme such as a workplace pension. 'Many buy a home, and through paying off their mortgage they build property wealth.' Meanwhile when people retire, the report said that 'pension wealth gets drawn upon and used up, while some people also downsize their homes and reduce their property wealth'. However campaigners at Tax Justice Scotland – which wants Holyrood's powers to be used to deliver greater equality – insisted changes are needed to 'share wealth more fairly'. Speaking on behalf of the group Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) – Scotland's largest trade union body – general secretary Roz Foyer said: 'These figures show the vast scale of unfairness in Scotland today. Roz Foyer (Image: free) 'Whilst those at the top accumulate more wealth, more than one in five children grow up in poverty and our public services are starved of the investment they urgently need. This cannot go on.' Foyer demanded: 'We need urgent tax reform to help share wealth more fairly and to distribute resources right across the country. READ MORE: Gordon Brown's had a good idea. But it won't fix the problem he created 'Over time, public finance pressures mean that most of us may need to pay a bit more, but this data makes clear this must start with those at the very top. 'In Scotland, that means parties must set out clear plans to scrap Council Tax and replace it with a fairer, modern property tax. 'At the UK level, we also need common sense wealth taxes that ensure the richest pay their fair share.' She insisted: 'It's time for our political leaders to step up with serious tax plans to help close this growing wealth gap and to invest in creating a fairer, more prosperous future for all of us.' Scottish Green equalities spokeswoman Maggie Chapman criticised the 'obscene inequality in these statistics', adding: 'There is a small number of people who are very well off, and a far greater number who have very little.' She added: 'Scotland has a very long way to go if we are to build a fairer society, and this must be a clarion call for change.' Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said that 'so many people are finding that there is nothing left at the end of the month'. He said: 'People are paying the price for the SNP's incompetence and Liz Truss and the Conservatives crashing the economy.' Shirley-Anne Somerville (Image: PA) Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'As a result of Scottish Government policies, the poorest 10% of households with children are estimated to be £2,600 a year better off in 2025-2026.' However, she added: 'Inequality is still too high, with too many economic powers left in the hands of the UK Government which has too often sought to balance the books on the backs of the poorest. 'With the full powers of independence, Scotland could do more to take a different approach from the UK status quo, and take decisions which would make Scotland the fairer, more equal country that we want to see.'
The Herald Scotland
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Government faces union warning over spending measures
Public finance minister Ivan McKee will this afternoon (Thursday) unveil details of the crackdown which aims to reduce "wasteful" spending by the state amid major financial pressures. It is understood the proposals will increase the amount of cash saved over the following five years so that by 2029/30 the government will be saving by up to £1 billion annually on backroom operations. The strategy is expected to set out how substantial savings can be made through collaborative working across organisations focusing on reducing demand for services such as the NHS through preventation such as policies to reduce diseases and social harms caused by poverty. READ MORE: But the government's proposals will also seek to reduce waste through more efficient procurement, cutting the cost of managing estates and buildings, the removal of duplication and the enhanced use of automation while aiming to improve the delivery of frontline services such as health and education. A major review of civil service is not being ruled out with the Scottish Government's 55 directorates potentially facing a restructure and a reduction in their number. It is expected that the cash-saving proposals will highlight too a possible need to "consolidate" Scotland's 130 quangos with cost-cutting mergers between bodies potentially being undertaken. However, in comments which could raise the prospect of future battles between trade unions and public sector employers, Ms Foyer warned: "You can't fix public services by cutting the people who deliver them." STUC general secretary Roz Foyer (Image: Newsquest) She told The Herald: 'It's illogical to talk about reducing headcount while NHS waiting times, A&E delays and social care backlogs are at crisis levels all while local government is all but being cleared out. 'Scotland deserves high-quality public services that are fully funded, resilient and responsive. That means investing in the workforce, not undermining it. We aren't against reform, far from it." She went on to say that while there was much public debate around artificial intelligence (AI) and technological change, "an ageing population will require greater investment in services delivered by people, not machines". Public finance minister Ivan McKee (Image: Scottish Government) First Minister John Swinney discussed the thinking behind the strategy when he addressed public sector leaders in Glasgow on Monday telling his audience the sector will shrink as services look to innovations like AI and his government plans to embark on a 'renewal' of public services by harnessing new technologies. Mr Swinney also noted the findings of the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services in Scotland, chaired by Dr Campbell Christie in 2011, which had been tasked with examining the long-term challenges facing public services—including budget pressures, demographic change, rising demand and persistent inequalities. The Commission's report called for community-driven, preventative and collaborative approaches to address systemic challenges. Key recommendations included prioritising prevention to reduce long-term costs, enhancing performance through technology, and closer working across sectors. And in his speech on Monday, Mr Swinney referred to the creation of Police Scotland, where the country's eight police forces were amalgamated into one organisation, as one of the "key successes" from the Christie report noting the restructure had "led to over £200m in savings". But Ms Foyer told The Herald workers had paid a price to previous public sector changes. "Ministers must learn from the Christie Commission and the harsh lessons of the pandemic, whereby workers were thrown to the wolves, because of under-resourced services," she said. 'Before charging ahead, the Scottish Government must engage meaningfully with trade unions. We have made it clear to ministers that we will not support any plan that puts public services or public service workers at risk. "Politicians across the political spectrum need to face up to the fact that total tax revenues will have to rise in the coming years. The real question the Scottish Government and others are ducking is how they will do that fairly, using Scotland's devolved tax powers, to support our public sector workers. Mr McKee's strategy comes a week ahead of the Scottish Government's publication of its medium term fiscal strategy and follows warnings of a challenging financial landscape for the administration. In its latest five-year outlook last month the fiscal watchdog, the Scottish Fiscal Commission, forecast that the country's public finances will come under increasing strain over the next five years, due to rising welfare costs, sluggish economic growth and an £851 million income tax black hole. Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee pledged that Scotland's approach to public service reform will help deliver the fairer future that people in Scotland want. Mr McKee said: 'The strategy for public service reform that I have developed and will present to Parliament is all about doing things better, not doing less. It will enable Scotland to lead our own agenda on reform, not follow that of others. 'One of this government's key priorities is to improve public services. 'We are clear that everyone in Scotland should have access to services that are efficient, good quality and effective. We are also clear that this is about putting more funding into frontline services and investing in and empowering public service workers to deliver what people need. 'A key aim will be to identify systemic barriers that have prevented progress and to shift where and how investments are made, to take a more preventative approach – optimising the impact of our funding, making services more sustainable in the long term and making a real difference to people's lives.'
The Herald Scotland
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scots union boss Roz Foyer in second home 'hypocrisy' row
The union boss was said to be the owner of a flat in Edinburgh, a terraced house in Glasgow, a Spanish flat which she rents out for £1,000 a week and a holiday cottage on Jura She also owns a four-bedroom family home in the leafy suburbs of north-west Glasgow, and a plot of undeveloped land. Ms Foyer, who earns up to £100,000 a year, has publicly blaming second home owners for exacerbating the housing and cost-of-living crisis. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay (Image: Jane Barlow) Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has questioned how she can continue in her role. He said: 'Scotland's leading trade unionist appears to have been more inspired by Donald Trump than Jimmy Reid. 'To secretly build a £1million property empire while railing against the supposed sin of second home ownership is hilariously hypocritical. 'Just another example of Scotland's self-righteous socialist establishment telling the rest of us how to behave – while doing the complete opposite.' He added: 'How Roz Foyer thinks she can continue in her role as self-styled workers' champion is a mystery and I expect her comrades might have something to say about it.' Mr Findlay joked on Friday that Ms Foyer shared his party's values of working hard and reaping the rewards – and invited her to defect to his party. Ms Foyer was the first woman appointed to the top trade union job in Scotland and represents 500,000 workers. READ MORE: STUC general secretary accused of 'champagne socialism' over second home Roz Foyer: It's 'Awful April' and the cost of living crisis continues She has repeatedly spoken out about the impact second homes have on communities amid Scotland's 'housing emergency'. In July 2023, she called for a 300 per cent council tax premium on second and empty homes to tackle homelessness. Months later, she said: 'Scotland is facing a simultaneous housing and cost-of-living crisis putting an unbearable strain on working people.
Spectator
02-06-2025
- Business
- Spectator
Union chief in second home hypocrisy row
Well, well, well. The general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress has found herself at the centre of a rather embarrassing scandal. It transpires that Roz Foyer – who has repeatedly blasted second home ownership – owns a total of, er, five homes, including a flat in Spain as well as a £100,000 plot of land. Talk about hypocrisy, eh? As revealed by the Mail on Sunday, Foyer – who earns up to six figures a year – lives in a £280,000 four-bedroom home in north-west Glasgow. On top of this, however, she has a £240,000 flat in Edinburgh, a £145,000 terraced house in Glasgow, a £125,000 Spanish flat that she rents out for a staggering £1,000 a week and a £150,000 holiday cottage on the Isle of Jura. More than that, just three months ago Foyer purchased a plot of unused land for £100,000. Alright for some! The revelations may be a little painful for Foyer, who has publicly slammed second home owners for worsening the housing and cost-of-living crisis.
