Tax powers row: Goldie demands emergency statement

Scottish Conservatives are calling for an emergency statement to Holyrood after the revelation that the main tax raising power voted for by the Scottish people in the 1997 referendum is currently not available to MSPs.

Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, said:

"Alex Salmond and the SNP have delivered a slap in the face to democracy. It was the settled will of the Scottish people that Holyrood should have tax varying powers. That right has been denied to the Scottish Parliament by the SNP.

"Alex Salmond needs to remember that he is only the temporary custodian of the Office of First minister. The tax powers do not belong to him. They belong to Parliament. He has no right to deny those powers to others.

"It is ludicrous and ironic that a party which demands more tax powers, and refuses to use its existing ones, has acted in secret to ride roughshod over democracy.

"Alex Salmond needs to come before Holyrood next week and make an emergency statement. He needs to give full disclosure of all the facts. And if questions remain unanswered then a full Scottish Parliamentary Committee probe cannot be ruled out."

Back to all posts