Reform UK’s Scotland leader Malcolm Offord was joined by party leader Nigel Farage to launch their manifesto for the Scottish Parliament election this coming May. This was a very early manifesto launch – even before dissolution.
Tax proposals: income tax cuts dominate the announcements
The most headline-grabbing part of the manifesto is the promise to bring Scottish Income Tax below the rates in the rest of the UK. These seem broadly in the right ballpark: around £2 billion a year to bring all thresholds in line with the rest of the UK and to make each rate 1p lower; and another £1.7 billion a year to make rates 3p lower than in the rest of the UK.
This is a perfectly legitimate policy to pursue. It is, however, an expensive one. The income tax net tax position – that is, the difference between Scottish Income Tax receipts and the block grant adjustment – would go from around +£1 billion in 2026-27 and +£2.7 billion by 2030-31 to -£1 billion in both cases, respectively.