Fairer taxes the only protection for Health and Education.

FAIRER TAXES THE ONLY PROTECTION FOR HEALTH & EDUCATION

 The other parties' pledges to protect public services cannot be trusted unless they say where the money is coming from, the Scottish Greens argued as the campaign today turned to health and education. The Greens go into this election as the only Holyrood party pledging to raise additional revenue to tackle the cuts, (1) a position most Scots support. (2)

 Patrick Harvie said:

 "The SNP's last Budget, backed by the Tory and Lib Dem coalition partners, passed on a staggering £1.3 billion pounds worth of cuts to Scottish public services. Labour, for their part, voted against but could not say where any more money should come from. We know where it should come from - untaxed business assets and the wealthiest in Scottish society. Most Scots support raising fairer taxes, so why are we the only party offering an alternative to the cuts?

"Education is directly in the firing line, with schools and university departments closing. Health isn't exempt either - as local authority care services get squeezed it's the NHS that will have to pick up the pieces.

"The other parties are all mouth and no trousers on public services. This election is a simple choice between their cuts agenda and Green plans to act now, to use the existing powers Holyrood has to protect Scottish public services. That's what devolution's for."

 Notes

 1. Green policy is to replace Council Tax and Uniform Business Rates with Land Value Tax.
 http://scot.gr/lvtreport

 2. 55% of Scots in an Ipsos Mori poll conducted by the BBC in September 2010 backed revenue raising measures as an alternative to the cuts.

 James Mackenzie
 Head of Media
 Scottish Green Party
 Mob: 07921 333 617
 james.mackenzie@scottishgreens.org.uk