Tory plans to raise National Insurance will unfairly penalise Scottish families - and leave the poorest in society subsidising the wealthy.
The Tory government will break its manifesto pledge and increase National Insurance by 1.25%, in a deeply regressive move that would leave Scottish families, young people, and the low paid paying the price of Westminster failure, and hundreds of pounds worse off each year.
No one doubts the need to fix the social care crisis Westminster has created in England, but that it should be done in a fair way - and people in Scotland shouldn't be left footing the bill for Westminster failure. Worse still, it comes at the same time the Tories are slashing people's incomes by £1040 in cuts to Universal Credit.
The Tories should ditch this plan, and if they do press ahead, despite the evidence, they must at the very least guarantee that Scotland will get every penny it is due in Barnett consequentials.
It is increasingly clear that there is no chance of a fair recovery under Westminster control. The only way to keep Scotland safe from Tory cuts and tax hikes is to become an independent country, with the full powers needed to build a strong, fair and equal recovery.