New Report submission to the Smith Commission by Jim and Margaret Cuthbert.
Click to view: CuthbertSmithsubmission
We are pleased to publish the submission to the Smith Commission by Jim and Margaret Cuthbert which cautions against the devolution of income tax.
Based upon a searching fivefold set of criteria against which proposals for increased fiscal responsibility for the Scottish Parliament should be judged, Jim and Margaret Cuthbert caution against what has now become the dominant mainstream view regarding the devolution of income tax. They argue this could penalise Scotland in terms of resources. They recommend, instead, concentration upon national insurance and land taxation.
They also recommend the exercise of reserved powers and transfer of others (including fisheries, the crown estate, and aspects of representation in Europe). In other areas, they argue what is required is something like a micro-federal solution, where power is shared between Scotland and Westminster, but in a quasi-federal manner which means that the numerical preponderance of England does not simply dominate: these areas include monetary policy, oil and gas policy and taxation, utilities regulation, corporation tax, competition policy, and research and development and support for innovative industries.