Conservative plans to bar Scottish MPs from voting on income tax rates south of the border are “right and fair”, Chancellor George Osborne has insisted.
The senior Tory said the change, a consequence of plans to hand greater control over income tax to Scotland, would not damage the union but would instead create a “stronger Scotland within a stronger UK”.
The Conservative election manifesto, published yesterday, was quickly branded a “brutal betrayal” of the cross-party Smith Commission proposals, which include transferring powers over income tax north of the border to Holyrood.
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy also claimed it would “fracture the UK tax system and consign Scots to second-class citizens in the House of Commons”.
In their manifesto, the Tories pledged to “extend the principle of English consent to financial matters such as how spending is distributed within England and to taxation – including an English rate of income tax – when the equivalent decisions have been devolved to Scotland”.
Mr Osborne, who was today campaigning in the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine constituency in the north east of Scotland, defended the move.
He said: “If you have a Scottish rate of income tax, a consequence of that is you have an English rate of income tax and I think it’s only right and fair that English MPs would then have a decisive say over that.
“Of course the whole budget would be voted on by all the UK MPs, including Scottish MPs, and I think that’s a fair arrangement. I think people in Scotland would see it as fair, I also think people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would see it as fair.
“I think it’s about making our union stronger, a stronger United Kingdom, a stronger Scotland within a stronger UK.”
Mr Osborne said the proposals to give Holyrood new powers after last year’s independence vote included “a brand new Scottish rate of income tax, which I’m very much in favour of”.
He added this was “a real sign of our commitment to further devolution”.
Although headline pledges in the Tory manifesto, such as proposals to extend right-to-buy and plans to increase childcare, will not apply in Scotland, the Chancellor insisted his party has plenty to offer voters north of the border.
David Cameron will unveil the party’s manifesto for Scotland with Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tomorrow, Mr Osborne said.
He added: “I think people in Scotland understand we have devolved arrangements and that is why we will have a separate manifesto for Scotland full of things that are specifically for Scotland.
“But we’re choosing a UK government at this election and I think the most important issue is going to be who do you want to have that economic plan that is creating jobs, keeping the United Kingdom strong.”
With Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP poised to win dozens of seats north of the border on May 7, Mr Osborne insisted his party is the only alternative to a “cabal” between the nationalists and Labour.
“There’s really only one choice in this election,” he said during a visit to McIntosh Plant Hire near Westhill, Aberdeenshire.
“You either have the Scottish Conservatives, led by Ruth Davidson, who are promising a strong economy, strong defences and strong United Kingdom, and you have the alternative which is this Scottish nationalist/Ed Miliband cabal which is offering higher taxes, higher debt, a weaker economy, weaker defences.
“When people see a choice like that they’ll want to go with the Scottish Conservatives.”
While Liberal Democrat Sir Robert Smith won West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine in the last general election, Mr Osborne added that the collapse in Lib Dem support means the seat is now a straight fight between the Tories and the SNP.
“This is a very important seat and it’s now a two-horse race,” he said.
“It’s clear it’s either going to be a nationalist here or it’s going to be Alexander Burnett, a strong local Scottish Conservative candidate who can support a strong economic plan for the whole of Scotland and the United Kingdom.
“It is now a two-horse race and if people want to choose a strong United Kingdom, a strong economy, they will want to vote for Alexander.”