Forbes condemns ‘drumbeat of negativity’ about Scotland from opposition parties

A “constant drumbeat of negativity” from opposition politicians could be preventing people from moving to Scotland, the country’s Deputy First Minister has suggested.

While opponents of the SNP have warned higher rates of income tax north of the border impact on immigration, Kate Forbes said she has been told “the negative rhetoric about tax is more off-putting than the tax itself”.

Her comments came as she told MSPs on Holyrood’s Economy Committee that she gets “really disheartened when there is a constant drumbeat of negativity within our political discourse about why people shouldn’t move to Scotland”.

She said that “generally” came from opposition politicians claiming “everything is rubbish”, with “points around tax and so on”.

Ms Forbes said: “I think we forget that has a negative impact on whether or not people want to move to the country.”

Devolution of powers over income tax rates and bands has meant over recent years that the charge has been increased for higher earners in Scotland, opening up a gap with the rest of the UK – with opposition politicians raising concerns it could deter people from moving north.

Ms Forbes told MSPs: “I have often heard it said that the negative rhetoric about tax is more off-putting than the tax itself, and certainly has been over the last few years.”

Her comments came after figures showed migration to Scotland helped the country’s population to rise faster than at any time since the 1940s.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) data shows that as of June 30 2023, Scotland’s population stood at 5,490,100 – a rise of 43,100 on the previous year, which is the biggest jump in population in one year since 1946-47.

NRS said the “main driver” of this latest increase was “people moving to Scotland from abroad and other parts of the UK”.

Ms Forbes said the Scottish Government was “proud to see an increase in migration to Scotland”.

She added: “We are delighted, we want Scotland to be a welcoming place for migrants, for immigrants.

“If you were to look at what other parties are saying about their concerns about immigration, I think it is so important we stand together in Scotland and say ‘we welcome immigrants, we want you to come here’.”

She said not only is there a “moral imperative” for Scotland to welcome people from other countries, there is also an “unashamed economic imperative to welcome people to Scotland” – adding the “problem has long been emigration”.