A Dundee minister has slammed SNP plans to scrap marriage tax breaks in an independent Scotland.
The Rev David Robertson, Free Church minister and director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, described the SNP decision as “cheap populism”.
In its Autumn Statement, the UK Government announced a tax break for married couples and civil partners which is worth up to £200 a year.
But the SNP has vowed to scrap the plans, which take effect in April 2015, if Scotland becomes independent, claiming they are “short-changing women” and pledging instead to extend childcare provision.
Mr Robertson said: “We appreciate and agree with the fact that better childcare provision is needed but the Scottish Government are missing the point, which is that the best childcare provision is made within the family.
“It is true that £200 is largely tokenism but instead of removing that, the SNP would have been better to have increased it.
“Instead they have resorted to a cheap populism and hidden behind the guise of ‘discrimination’.
“We believe the Government should ‘discriminate’ in favour of those who work hard, those who want to be educated, those who want social justice and especially those who want to retain the traditional family.
“The disintegration of the family is the great social and economic tragedy of our generation. Instead of playing along with that, we would hope any Scottish Government would seek to reverse it.”
However, SNP MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford defended the policy, citing evidence from a women’s budget group report, which concluded that “those who gain directly from (the tax break) are more likely to be men than women, since, in couples, women are more likely not to earn enough to use up their personal allowance.”
Dr Whiteford said: “Quite simply, the UK Government marriage tax break is short-changing women.
“The policy reinforces other measures that discourage ‘dual earning’ couples, by making those who benefit lose if their partner takes a job for more than a few hours a week.
“The women’s budget group has recognised that it will dissuade women from going back to work because the husband could lose their allowance if his wife gets a part-time or low-paid job that takes them over the earnings threshold.
“A woman who loses her husband through bereavement or is forced to leave the family home because of domestic violence also loses out.
“UK Government benefit cuts already mean that many women are struggling financially, and the £700 million price tag could be better spent elsewhere.
“Even the Institute of Fiscal Studies has recognised that the Westminster policy is symbolic and would be of little benefit.
“Westminster’s tax breaks, which only benefit the traditional nuclear family, show how out of touch the UK Government is.
“As outlined in Scotland’s Future, with independence an SNP Government would scrap marriage tax breaks. Our priority is to help families with children by greatly expanding childcare provision.”