Greens want ‘further progress on fair taxation’ in next Scottish budget

The Scottish Greens have called on Finance Secretary Shona Robison to “make further progress on fair taxation” in the upcoming Scottish budget.

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer accepted that changes to the income tax system – which sees higher earners north of the border pay more than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK – have been taken “pretty close to as far as we can go”.

But insisting that there is “always a bit more change we can make”, the Green MSP said there could be “big gains” from introducing a wealth tax.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Greer said: “We want to tax wealth more than work, so this is not just about playing with the income tax system, we’ve taken the income tax system pretty close to as far as we can go.

“There’s always a bit more change we can make, the big gains we need to make are in a wealth tax.”

The Scottish Greens have also been pushing for Holyrood to bring in a new tax on private jets landing in and taking off from Scotland.

While he accepted making such changes was “difficult”, the Green co-leader insisted: “We can’t just use that as an excuse.

“We think that we need to pull on every lever, exhaust every opportunity right now, to raise the money we need to deliver the public services everybody expects.”

He added: “The Scottish Government is operating with one hand tied behind its back – but it has still got one hand, it can still make progress on this kind of stuff.”

His comments come ahead of Ms Robison setting out her draft tax and spending plans for 2026-27 in January, with Mr Greer saying there was a “host of areas” where they would like to see the government make “progress”.

But the Holyrood budget comes in the wake of a UK Budget later this month which could result in funding to the Scottish Government being cut.

Experts at the Fraser of Allander Institute have already warned that if Chancellor Rachel Reeves puts an additional 2p on the UK basic rate of income tax, the devolved funding arrangements mean the Scottish Government could lose £1 billion next year.

Complaining that Scotland’s public finances “at the moment are not sustainable”, Mr Greer said: “Rachel Reeves could be about to make tax changes that raise money in England, but cut Scotland’s budget because of the way the rules work.”

The Greens meanwhile will be using budget negotiations with the Scottish Government, which needs to get the support of at least one other party to get its proposals through Holyrood, to “zero in on policies that will tackle the climate emergency and will help people save money”, Mr Greer said.

He said this could be done “through expanding access to free or discounted buses and trains” as well as by building train stations in areas that do not have them, allowing people in these communities to benefit from the ending of peak fares.

Speaking ahead of budget talks, Mr Greer said: “Anything we can do to give people the opportunity to take public transport, to get on the bus or train, is going to be pretty close to the top of our priorities because that will both tackle the climate emergency and it will help people save money.”

He went on to hit out at the “financial fantasies” of some of his political rivals at Holyrood who want to both cut taxes and increase spending.

Mr Greer said: “That treats the public like they’re idiots. They are not.”

However he said the Scottish Greens were “willing to be totally honest” that the increased taxes are needed on those with the “broadest shoulders”.

Mr Greer argued that increasing taxes for this group is the only way to raise the cash needed to “take the action we need to tackle the climate emergency, the only way to lift children out of poverty, the only way to make sure the support staff are there in our schools, or the social care packages are there when people are leaving hospital”.

He added: “What I want to see from the coming budget debate from all parties is just a bit of honesty.

“People know that public services cost money, and that money needs to come from somewhere.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government’s tax decisions have enabled us to deliver higher investment in the NHS and policies like free tuition not available anywhere else in the UK, while ensuring the majority of taxpayers pay less income tax than elsewhere in the UK.

“Tax policy for 2026-27 will be announced at the Scottish Budget on January 13 2026.”