14 Feb 2019

Businesses could be fined tens of thousands of pounds under the SNP’s plan to tax people who drive to work.

Firms who don’t comply with the controversial levy could be hammered for up to £207.50 for every day if they are deemed to be in breach of the hated policy.

The idea – which was included in finance secretary Derek Mackay’s budget earlier this month – is based on a similar project in Nottingham.

It is understood the tax could amount to around £500 per day for employees, and £415 per day for employers.

But it has now emerged that guidelines have stated businesses would receive huge fines for not complying.

They state: “Where any workplace parking is being provided at premises without a licence, or the licence does not cover all the workplace parking spaces, the Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) will be for 50 per cent of the annual charge per unlicensed place for each day a contravention occurs.”

Companies and motoring groups have hit out at the SNP plans, pointing out they are unfair on motorists, particularly those who have no choice but to drive to work.

Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser said:

“This crazy plan will land businesses and workers with huge costs which are simply unaffordable, especially in this climate.

“Now we learn any firms which don’t comply to the letter could be slapped with fines of hundreds or indeed thousands of pounds per day.

“It’s yet more evidence that this scheme should be dropped at once.

“It’s bitterly unfair on the thousands of workers across Scotland who have no choice but to take their car to work.

“The SNP is making life hard enough for businesses in Scotland to thrive – this latest tax raid will only compound that misery.”

13 Feb 2019

Teaching unions would demand car park tax refunds for their members, which could cost the taxpayer millions of pounds a year, it has emerged.

EIS chief Larry Flanagan confirmed this morning that, were the charge to be imposed on teachers, they would seek to reclaim that figure in any future pay deal.

It’s not yet clear which councils will adopt the controversial approach, although Edinburgh’s SNP council leader has already confirmed the Capital will.

There are 3346 teachers in Edinburgh, which could mean a rebate for the city totalling £1.7 million a year.

There would also be huge fees for Glasgow (£2.6 million), Aberdeen (£818,000) and Dundee (£660,000) should they accept the SNP’s car park tax scheme.

In fact, if all councils had to adopt the car park tax, the total annual fee would amount to £25.6 million.

It’s the latest problem highlighted with the SNP’s car park tax, which is already being opposed by businesses and motoring groups.

On the Radio Scotland Mornings phone-in today, the vast majority of callers were fiercely against the move.

Earlier, the SNP’s council leader in Edinburgh, Adam McVey, confirmed he would be seeking to implement the tax which he admitted would cost Capital workers and businesses up to £15 million a year.

Scottish Conservative shadow finance secretary Murdo Fraser said:

“We already knew this ill-judged SNP tax would be a disaster for workers and businesses right across Scotland.

“Now it seems it would be a nightmare for the taxpayer too.

“The SNP has been so short-sighted in its drive to raid people’s pay-packets, it hasn’t stopped to think of the consequences.

“Teaching unions have now confirmed that they would seek to address the £500-a-year charge within any future pay deals.

“That could lead to the taxpayer picking up millions in additional costs – the SNP government would be better not imposing the charge at all.

“There’s now more than enough evidence for the SNP government to ignore the Green extremists and drop this unwanted and unfair tax altogether.”

11 Feb 2019

Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of wasting a supposedly official trip to the US by “lecturing” Americans about independence.

The First Minister claimed she was making the week-long trip – which occurred while the Scottish Parliament was still sitting – to talk up Scotland’s economy and businesses.

But on a CNN chatshow at the weekend, she instead spoke about her ambitions to break up Britain.

She told the programme: “I’m not going to put a particular timescale on it right now but in the not too distant future, I think Scotland will be an independent country looking to join the EU and looking to take a seat the United Nations.”

Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden said:

“Nicola Sturgeon took a full week away from government business to bang the drum for independence, and that’s completely unacceptable.

“The First Minister was supposed to use this dubious trip to promote Scotland’s business and economy.

“Instead, she spent her time lecturing America about her selfish plans to break up Britain.”

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