Robert Brown calls for better tax deal

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 27th Jul 2007

A call for a 4p cut in income tax came today from Glasgow Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown. Mr. Brown gave his backing to radical new tax proposals from the Liberal Democrats which would see Income Tax at its lowest level since 1916.

Mr. Brown believes the move would benefit those in Rutherglen and Cambuslang on low and middle incomes, whilst making the rich, and those with environmentally damaging lifestyles pay a fairer share.

The proposals include commitments to simplify the tax code, to reduce stamp duty on properties worth less than £500,000, and to reform Inheritance Tax by raising the starting threshold to £500,000.

Robert Brown said:

"Low and middle income earners in this country shoulder too heavy a tax burden. It is unacceptable that in Scotland and Britain today the poorest pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the super-rich. This is the legacy of 10 years of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and New Labour.

"Liberal Democrat plans to cut the basic rate by four pence in the pound will reduce the basic rate of income tax to 16p, benefiting millions of people on low and middle incomes.

"The national tax cuts will be paid for by abolishing the capital gains tax break, which allows the very rich to pay a lower tax rate than the person who cleans their office, as well as only providing tax relief for pensions at the standard rate; and raising taxes on polluters. By reforming stamp duty and inheritance tax we will ensure that people who were not originally intended to pay these taxes no longer do so.

"Under our proposals, tax cuts for the majority will be paid for by the wealthy minority, as well as those with environmentally damaging lifestyles. Only the Liberal Democrats have produced a costed plan to create a tax system that is fair, simple and green.

"In Scotland, we are also planning to get rid of the unfair Council tax and replace it with a tax based on ability to pay. Taken in conjunction with the abolition of council tax, our tax policies will benefit the vast majority of families.

"I believe these radical plans will attract a lot of support in Glasgow, Rutherglen and Cambuslang."

Ends

Notes for Editors

1. The revised tax proposals are tax neutral and have been independently evaluated by the IFS.

2. Reducing the Burden: Policies for Tax Reform can be downloaded at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/Tax_policy_paper_120707.pdf

www.robertbrown.org.uk

Robert has been the Liberal Democrat MSP for Glasgow Region since 1999 and was re-elected for a third term in May 2007.

Robert is now Business Manager for the Liberal Democrats in the Scottish Parliament. He was Deputy Minister for Children and Young People in the last Scottish Executive. Robert was previously Convener of the Scottish Parliament's Education Committee, and had served on the Social Justice Committee and the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, (SPCB) the management group of the Parliament.

He has close links with many organisations in Rutherglen and Cambuslang and lives with his family in Burnside.

Robert Brown is also one of the Scottish Liberal Democrats' leading strategists. He is Convener of the Party's Policy Committee and was responsible for their manifestos at recent elections. He was also a member of the Party's negotiating Committee which agreed the Partnership Agreement of 2003