LOCAL politician Jackson Carlaw has called for Scottish taxes to be cut, after the Autumn Budget delivered income tax breaks for households in England.

The Eastwood MSP - and Scottish Conservative interim leader - said the Budget proved that Tory MPs were delivering for Scotland, with a freeze in whisky duty, more money for city and regional growth deals, support for oil and gas, and investment in fishing.

He said: “The ball is now in Derek Mackay’s court. With tax cuts being delivered south of the border, the case for yet more SNP tax rises next year in Scotland is simply unsustainable.”

However, the Scottish Government said Scotland’s resource block grant remained almost £2 billion lower in real terms in 2019/20 than in 2010/11.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: “With the UK Government’s preferred approach to Brexit set to hit people’s incomes in Scotland by £1,600 a head, the changes in this year’s Budget do nothing to alleviate the impact Brexit will have.

“The reality is that Scotland continues to be hit by UK austerity and the decision to leave the EU.”