Hypocrisy! High-tax SNP condemn UK government… for failing to cut income tax
SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan criticised the UK Government’s continued freeze on the tax-free personal allowance, arguing that it leaves workers worse off amid cost-of-living pressures. The criticism prompted accusations of hypocrisy because the SNP-led Scottish Government has used devolved income-tax powers to raise taxes for many Scottish earners and freeze several higher-rate thresholds.
The personal allowance has remained at £12,570 since 2021-22; a House of Commons Library analysis cited in the article estimates it would reach about £17,440 by 2030-31 if uprated with inflation, making workers £974 worse off by then. In Scotland, people earning above £33,500 currently pay more income tax than elsewhere in the UK, while the 2026-27 Scottish Budget froze higher, advanced and top-rate thresholds; increases to the basic and intermediate thresholds offer savings of up to £31.75 annually.
- SNP criticism of UK tax policy drew accusations of inconsistency.
- Personal allowance freeze is projected to cost workers £974 by 2030-31.
- Scottish tax policies leave many higher earners paying more.
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Income tax is charged on earnings above a tax-free personal allowance, which has been held at £12,570 since 2021-22. When that allowance stays fixed as wages and prices rise, more income can become subject to tax, and workers may have less spending power.
The UK Government sets income tax rules for most of the UK, while Scotland’s devolved government can set rates and some thresholds for Scottish taxpayers. The SNP leads the Scottish Government and has also criticised the UK Government’s tax policy.
The debate concerns how those choices affect people on different incomes across the UK. Scottish rates and frozen thresholds mean some Scottish earners pay more income tax than people elsewhere, while changes to lower thresholds offer modest savings to some.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The SNP can reasonably argue that criticising the UK-wide personal allowance freeze is consistent with opposing a policy that quietly raises workers’ tax bills as wages rise. Its supporters may also point to Scotland’s higher basic and intermediate thresholds, which provide some relief to lower and middle earners, and argue that devolved tax choices reflect different priorities for funding public services.
The case against
Critics can reasonably argue that the SNP’s complaint is weakened by its own tax decisions: many Scottish earners above £33,500 pay more than comparable earners elsewhere in the UK, and higher-rate thresholds have been frozen. They may see it as inconsistent to condemn fiscal drag at Westminster while accepting or using similar measures in Scotland, particularly when the cited threshold increases offer only modest annual savings.