Scottish election 2021: Truth-checking the leaders’ debate

Of their final televised debate of the 2021 Holyrood election marketing campaign, the 5 leaders of Scotland’s bigger political events traded claims on tax, the pandemic and social care.

We have checked out a few of them.

That is right however wants context.

From 2018, there was a special regime for Scottish earnings tax payers, utilizing newly devolved powers.

Decrease earners pay a decrease fee on a small tranche of their cash, that means they pay £21 per 12 months lower than somebody on the identical pay in the remainder of the UK.

And this had been anticipated to lift, final monetary 12 months, £456m greater than if Westminster’s tax bands and charges had been used.

However there was slower progress within the Scottish tax base and in income than there would have been with out devolved earnings tax.

And so, the Institute for Fiscal Research (IFS) experiences, the adjustments truly raised an additional £117m.

For the present monetary 12 months, nevertheless, the Scottish Fiscal Fee expects them to lift £494m greater than if Westminster’s tax regime had been used.

Though, this assumes income-tax income in Scotland takes a proportionately smaller hit from Covid than in the remainder of the UK, and, as with a lot present budgeting, is a really tough forecast with numerous uncertainty.

That is right however wants context.

That may be a complete of 1.2 million folks paying extra.

And the edge for paying the upper charges is decrease in Scotland than the remainder of the UK.

Greater than half Scottish taxpayers have incomes beneath £27,393.

And so they now pay £21 per 12 months lower than somebody on the identical pay in the remainder of the UK, the IFS says.

Mr Sarwar was requested if his deliberate 5% rise on the highest fee of earnings tax would make folks incomes greater than £150,000 a 12 months go away Scotland.

About 15,000 folks in Scotland earn greater than £150,000.

So a “disproportionate” quantity would indicate greater than 3,150 folks incomes greater than £150,000 labored within the public sector.

However we can’t discover a breakdown of what number of high earners work within the public or personal sector.

Ms Sturgeon is the one minister who earns greater than £150,000 – and one civil servant earns that a lot.

Public-sector chief executives have their fundamental pay capped at about £150,000 – however different compensation can take them effectively above that stage.

Some docs and surgeons may additionally earn greater than £150,000.

Mr Harvie was expressing warning about easing restrictions on worldwide journey.

And a scientific report launched in early December stated many instances detected early within the second wave of Scotland’s epidemic might be traced again to journey overseas in July and August final 12 months.

Between 17 July and 30 August, researchers finding out the genomic historical past of the virus estimated, there had been 46 “import occasions” into Scotland, the place the virus was “reseeded” into the inhabitants:

Later in December, nevertheless, public well being officers warned of the unfold of a brand new variant of the virus, recognized in Kent, which was extra infectious.

All 5 leaders have been requested about their plans for Scotland’s social-care sector, put underneath pressure by the pandemic.

However we have now been unable to seek out proof to help Mr Rennie’s declare that 20% of job roles are unfilled.

In 2019, in response to the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Social Companies Council knowledge, the speed of full-time vacancies for care companies in Scotland was 6.2%, up from 5.5% in 2018.

Figures for 2020 are but to be revealed.

We requested the Lib Dems the place they obtained their determine from. An official informed us it got here from a GMB union report which – in flip – quoted an article from the Occasions which did not supply the determine.