Responding to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, campaigners said Scottish Ministers had yet again failed to set out a concrete path to replacing Council Tax with a fairer tax on property wealth, while plans for a tax on super-polluting private jets remain grounded, with rates due to be set in the 2027/28 budget.
The First Minister has spoken today about strengthening councils, empowering local communities and rebalancing power across Scotland. But while a Council Tax Bill is being brought forward, there is no commitment to use it to deliver the much bigger reform that Scotland needs: replacing Council Tax with a fairer system that properly taxes property wealth.
Oxfam Scotland says Ministers' failure to raise more money from wealth risks slowing delivery of key policies designed to help households with the cost of living. While an expansion of the £2 bus fare cap to the west of Scotland is welcome, campaigners say it falls short of the SNP's promise of a nationwide scheme and underlines the need for fairer taxation that could help fund measures that tackle poverty and reduce both emissions and living costs.
Katherine May, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Scotland desperately needs investment in public services and action to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change, but Ministers appear to have looked everywhere for money except the obvious places: property wealth and ultra-wealthy polluters. When it comes to fairly taxing wealth, there’s nothing but tumbleweeds.
“The First Minister has talked about reshaping local government and empowering communities, but Council Tax reform has become the Loch Ness Monster of Scottish politics: endlessly rumoured, repeatedly promised, never actually seen.
“Now Ministers have a Council Tax Bill coming forward, they have a clear opportunity to go much further. Rather than simply tweaking the existing system, they should use this Bill to replace Council Tax with a fairer tax on property wealth.
“And with the rate of Scotland’s private jet tax due to be set in the Budget, Ministers must make it sky high. If they are serious about tackling climate change and fairly making the wealthiest polluters contribute more, only a tough tax on super-polluting private jets will cut it.
“Ministers cannot keep leaving wealth and luxury pollution largely untouched while the policies needed to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change remain starved of investment and stuck in second gear. It’s time for those with the most to contribute more.”
Oxfam Scotland also urged Ministers to fast track their commitment to increase Scotland's International Development Fund by 25% by the end of this Parliament.
Katherine May added: "At a time when humanitarian need is growing around the world, we need more than good intentions. In Nepal, people have seen loved ones, homes, livelihoods and entire villages washed away in the blink of an eye. As communities face increasingly severe crises, Ministers must fast track the increase in Scotland's International Development Fund by 25% by the end of this Parliament; humanitarian and climate crises don’t follow a neat timeline and communities facing crises cannot rebuild on promises alone."
/ENDS
For more information and interviews, please contact: Rebecca Lozza, Media and Communications Adviser, Oxfam Scotland: rlozza1@oxfam.org.uk / 07917738450
