Latest news with #TaxpayerSavingsAct
The Herald Scotland
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
‘SNP gravy train' must end, says Findlay in Holyrood pitch
'Wouldn't that be some prize?" he asked delegates gathered in a Murrayfield function room. "Swinney paying the price for his abysmal record.' 'We will aim to take on and defeat the SNP in more constituencies. Not just hold on to what we have but win more," he said. 'Yes, this is optimistic if you look at the opinion polls, but it is also realistic," he added. "If you speak to people, we can return constituency MSPs in each of the seats we won last time.' Polling expert Mark Diffley told The Herald on Sunday he believed it was realistic to suggest the Tories could retain their constituencies, but they would likely struggle to keep their list MSPs. 'It is true that, despite their vote share in both parts of the ballot having halved since 2021, they have a better chance in the constituencies than on the regional list. This is largely because in the seats they hold, the SNP is second — and their vote share has also dropped significantly. 'The regional list is a different story, with Reform doing well and significantly eating into Tory representation. On average, current polling suggests the Conservatives will keep their five constituency seats but lose around 15 list seats — leaving them with around 15 MSPs, down from 31.' Asked whether he was trying to present a setback as a success, Mr Findlay told journalists: 'This is an interesting interpretation — and lots of these pointy‑headed pollsters have been proven wrong in the past. 'I mean, nobody saw some of the most recent results. Everyone called that wrong. That is why I am absolutely optimistic and confident.' Elsewhere in his speech, the party chief outlined new policies in what he called a 'blueprint for a common‑sense future for Scotland.' He said the Tories would scrap the SNP's 'unaffordable and unachievable' 2045 net zero target, replacing it with an 'Affordable Transition Fund' — using proceeds from leasing offshore wind to cut £100 from every household energy bill. He also pledged a Taxpayer Savings Act 'to get the books in order and deliver better value,' claiming a Scottish Conservative government would find £650 million worth of savings by reversing SNP ministers' £20,000 pay rise, cutting quangos, and reducing the number of special advisers and ministers. Civil service staff would be reduced to 2015 levels — from 28,800 to 17,400 — and stricter rules on public sector pay rises enforced. 'The size of the SNP state is absurd,' Mr Findlay said. 'There are more of the most senior grade of executives in public sector Scotland than there are paramedics. I know which ones we need more of. 'The only get‑rich‑quick scheme in Scotland is snaring a first‑class ticket on the SNP gravy train — or maybe it is a camper van.' He accused the SNP of building an 'obedient client state,' adding: 'But where is the benefit to workers and businesses who fund this through their sky‑high taxes? 'We would review every one of these public sector jobs while enforcing much stricter rules on pay rises.' Proposals to strengthen transparency included a new Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency — 'run by business leaders' — and an 'Accountability and Transparency Index' to scrutinise organisations receiving public money. Mr Findlay also attacked both the SNP and Labour, describing Mr Swinney as 'an Amstrad politician in the Apple age' and said Sir Keir Starmer was 'wrecking Britain.' He described the 2026 election as 'a referendum on the SNP's record' — 'a binary choice between the change that Scotland so urgently needs or more of the same from John Swinney.' Mr Findlay added: 'If John was honest, he would acknowledge that Nicola Sturgeon is still in the driver's seat. 'Frankly, it will not be John Swinney winning another term — it will be the Nicola Sturgeon era all over again. 'By the election next year, her book will have been published. Its title is Frankly. 'Chapter One — Frankly I had no idea about Peter Murrell. Chapter Two — Frankly I had no idea about the campervan. Chapter Three — Frankly I do not know what a woman is. 'If this tome is an account of Nicola's achievements, then it will be a very slim volume. Perhaps it will sit on the shelves next to the books I have written — which can be found in the true crime section.' He made a direct appeal to disillusioned voters, admitting the Tories had lost trust in recent years: 'We lost our way. In government, taxes rose too high, immigration was not brought under control and we stopped focusing on improving people's lives. 'I know next year will be difficult. We have a mammoth task to win back public trust. Even earning the right to be heard will take a huge and collective commitment. It will not happen overnight. 'But we must have confidence in the enduring appeal of our core values — the strength of what we stand for.' Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said 'Russell Findlay's increasingly desperate attempts to stay relevant are becoming hard to watch. 'No one will forget the damage the Tories have done to our country - inflicting 14 years of chaos on us in government and providing the SNP with cover for their failures in Scotland. 'The Tories' hopes of unseating John Swinney next year are comically optimistic - but we can remove John Swinney as First Minister by electing a Scottish Labour government.'
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Findlay: Tories will save £650m – and use the cash to cut taxes for Scots
He will insist there is a need to 'urgently streamline bloated government' at Holyrood. The party leader will outline plans for a Taxpayer Savings Act, promising this will save £650 million by 'cutting red tape, getting a grip on spending, and harnessing business expertise'. Mr Findlay will also tell the Scottish Conservative Party conference in Edinburgh about plans to establish a Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency. This would be run by business leaders, he will tell the conference, who would then be 'tasked with wielding a claymore on waste'. The Scottish Tory leader has already accused First Minister John Swinney and his Government of wasting money 'on an industrial scale'. In his keynote speech to the conference – his first since becoming leader north of the border last year – he will say that 'putting a stop to wasteful spending is top of our agenda'. Mr Findlay will tell party supporters: 'We need to urgently streamline bloated government. 'Improving services means treating people's money with respect.' He will say £650 million that could be saved as a result of a Taxpayer Savings Act would be used 'to bring down people's taxes', adding: 'By doing that, we would start to restore trust.' Great to be at Murrayfield stadium for Scottish Tory conference. 🏴🇬🇧 Not been so much excitement since Taylor Swift was here 🤩#SCC25 — Russell Findlay MSP (@RussellFindlay1) June 13, 2025 Mr Findlay will also promise the Tories would 'shut down quangos that don't deliver value' and 'tackle the SNP's culture of cronyism through strict new rules on public appointments'. He will pledge a future Conservative government at Holyrood would seek to reduce both the number of ministers and special advisers. He is then expected to say: 'We would introduce a Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency, run by business leaders. People in the real world who know how to get things done. 'They would be tasked with wielding a claymore on waste.' Another proposal will be for an Accountability and Transparency Index, with Mr Findlay saying this would 'shine a light on every organisation that receives public money, and would begin to dismantle the SNP's toxic era of secrecy'. Scottish public finance minister Ivan McKee said: 'The Scottish Government is making real progress in reforming the public sector: the number of Scottish public bodies under Government control has shrunk from 199 in 2007 to 131. 'However, we know there is more to do, which is why I will soon unveil our public service reform strategy. 'Unfortunately, this work has been made more difficult by the UK Government's decision to pursue Brexit, which in 2023 alone led to an estimated cut in public revenues of about £2.3 billion. 'Most Scottish taxpayers already pay less income tax than they would elsewhere in the UK.'
North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Findlay: Tories will save £650m – and use the cash to cut taxes for Scots
He will insist there is a need to 'urgently streamline bloated government' at Holyrood. The party leader will outline plans for a Taxpayer Savings Act, promising this will save £650 million by 'cutting red tape, getting a grip on spending, and harnessing business expertise'. Mr Findlay will also tell the Scottish Conservative Party conference in Edinburgh about plans to establish a Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency. This would be run by business leaders, he will tell the conference, who would then be 'tasked with wielding a claymore on waste'. The Scottish Tory leader has already accused First Minister John Swinney and his Government of wasting money 'on an industrial scale'. In his keynote speech to the conference – his first since becoming leader north of the border last year – he will say that 'putting a stop to wasteful spending is top of our agenda'. Mr Findlay will tell party supporters: 'We need to urgently streamline bloated government. 'Improving services means treating people's money with respect.' He will say £650 million that could be saved as a result of a Taxpayer Savings Act would be used 'to bring down people's taxes', adding: 'By doing that, we would start to restore trust.' Great to be at Murrayfield stadium for Scottish Tory conference. 🏴🇬🇧 Not been so much excitement since Taylor Swift was here 🤩#SCC25 — Russell Findlay MSP (@RussellFindlay1) June 13, 2025 Mr Findlay will also promise the Tories would 'shut down quangos that don't deliver value' and 'tackle the SNP's culture of cronyism through strict new rules on public appointments'. He will pledge a future Conservative government at Holyrood would seek to reduce both the number of ministers and special advisers. He is then expected to say: 'We would introduce a Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency, run by business leaders. People in the real world who know how to get things done. 'They would be tasked with wielding a claymore on waste.' Another proposal will be for an Accountability and Transparency Index, with Mr Findlay saying this would 'shine a light on every organisation that receives public money, and would begin to dismantle the SNP's toxic era of secrecy'. Scottish public finance minister Ivan McKee said: 'The Scottish Government is making real progress in reforming the public sector: the number of Scottish public bodies under Government control has shrunk from 199 in 2007 to 131. 'However, we know there is more to do, which is why I will soon unveil our public service reform strategy. 'Unfortunately, this work has been made more difficult by the UK Government's decision to pursue Brexit, which in 2023 alone led to an estimated cut in public revenues of about £2.3 billion. 'Most Scottish taxpayers already pay less income tax than they would elsewhere in the UK.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tories pledge £650m tax cuts for Scots
Scots would receive a £650 million cut to their tax bills funded by savings from cutting the SNP's 'bloated public sector', under plans to be unveiled by the leader of the Scottish Conservatives. Russell Findlay will use a keynote speech to his party conference in Edinburgh to unveil proposals for a Taxpayer Savings Act to rein in wasteful public spending and slash bureaucracy. The legislation would cut the number of quangos by a quarter, bring business leaders into government to identify savings and cut red tape in the NHS and other bodies. Mr Findlay will promise that the savings would be used to fund tax cuts of up to £444 per year for workers forced to endure the highest income tax bills in the UK. The Scottish Tories want to abolish the current 20 per cent and 21 per cent rates of income tax and instead ensure that a 19 per cent rate applies on all taxable earnings up to the higher rate threshold of £43,663. Mr Findlay's intervention came after he told The Telegraph at the start of the year that Scotland needed a 'MacMusk' to cut the huge amount of SNP 'waste and incompetence' in the country's bloated public sector. He said that John Swinney, the Scottish First Minister, should follow the example of President Donald Trump's decision to bring Elon Musk into the US administration to cut state bureaucracy and inefficiency. Mr Musk has since left the role and is embroiled in a public feud with the president. Around 600,000 people are employed in Scotland's public sector, making up 22 per cent of the total workforce, compared with about 17 per cent in the UK as a whole. They are also paid on average £2,400 per year more north of the Border. Meanwhile, anyone earning more than £30,318 pays more income tax than if they lived elsewhere in the UK. There are six tax bands in Scotland, double the total south of the Border. In his first conference speech as party leader, Mr Findlay is expected to say: 'Putting a stop to wasteful spending is top of our agenda. We need to urgently streamline bloated government. 'Improving services means treating people's money with respect. Today I can announce that our party would introduce a Taxpayer Savings Act to get the books in order and deliver better value. 'This proposal would save £650 million by cutting red tape, getting a grip on spending, and harnessing business expertise. We would then use that money to bring down people's taxes.' He will pledge that the Tories would shut down quangos that 'don't deliver value' and 'tackle the SNP's culture of cronyism through strict new rules on public appointments.' 'No more jobs for the boys, and we would reduce the number of ministers and advisors. We would introduce a Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency – run by business leaders,' Mr Findlay is expected to say. 'People in the real world who know how to get things done. They would be tasked with wielding a claymore on waste.' Mr Findlay will say his party would also introduce an 'Accountability and Transparency Index' to scrutinise organisations that receive public money and 'dismantle the SNP's toxic era of secrecy.' Workers pay a 19 per cent starter rate of income tax on all earnings above the £12,570 tax-free personal allowance up to £15,397, then a 20 per cent basic rate applies up to £27,491, rising to a 21 per cent intermediate rate up to £43,662. Under the Tory plan, the 19 per cent rate would apply on all these earnings, from £12,571 up to £43,662. The move would benefit everyone earning £15,398 or above, with the maximum saving being £444 a year. The Scottish Government was approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Rhyl Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Findlay: Tories will save £650m – and use the cash to cut taxes for Scots
He will insist there is a need to 'urgently streamline bloated government' at Holyrood. The party leader will outline plans for a Taxpayer Savings Act, promising this will save £650 million by 'cutting red tape, getting a grip on spending, and harnessing business expertise'. Mr Findlay will also tell the Scottish Conservative Party conference in Edinburgh about plans to establish a Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency. This would be run by business leaders, he will tell the conference, who would then be 'tasked with wielding a claymore on waste'. The Scottish Tory leader has already accused First Minister John Swinney and his Government of wasting money 'on an industrial scale'. In his keynote speech to the conference – his first since becoming leader north of the border last year – he will say that 'putting a stop to wasteful spending is top of our agenda'. Mr Findlay will tell party supporters: 'We need to urgently streamline bloated government. 'Improving services means treating people's money with respect.' He will say £650 million that could be saved as a result of a Taxpayer Savings Act would be used 'to bring down people's taxes', adding: 'By doing that, we would start to restore trust.' Great to be at Murrayfield stadium for Scottish Tory conference. 🏴🇬🇧 Not been so much excitement since Taylor Swift was here 🤩#SCC25 — Russell Findlay MSP (@RussellFindlay1) June 13, 2025 Mr Findlay will also promise the Tories would 'shut down quangos that don't deliver value' and 'tackle the SNP's culture of cronyism through strict new rules on public appointments'. He will pledge a future Conservative government at Holyrood would seek to reduce both the number of ministers and special advisers. He is then expected to say: 'We would introduce a Scottish Agency of Value and Efficiency, run by business leaders. People in the real world who know how to get things done. 'They would be tasked with wielding a claymore on waste.' Another proposal will be for an Accountability and Transparency Index, with Mr Findlay saying this would 'shine a light on every organisation that receives public money, and would begin to dismantle the SNP's toxic era of secrecy'. Scottish public finance minister Ivan McKee said: 'The Scottish Government is making real progress in reforming the public sector: the number of Scottish public bodies under Government control has shrunk from 199 in 2007 to 131. 'However, we know there is more to do, which is why I will soon unveil our public service reform strategy. 'Unfortunately, this work has been made more difficult by the UK Government's decision to pursue Brexit, which in 2023 alone led to an estimated cut in public revenues of about £2.3 billion. 'Most Scottish taxpayers already pay less income tax than they would elsewhere in the UK.'
