SNP News: Support for Independence Rises to 56%, Despite Sturgeon With £ 1 Billion in Free Cash | Politics | News

However, critics today criticized an SNP plan for a £ 500 tax-free coronavirus bond for the NHS and care staff, and Allander’s Fraser Institute think tank dismissed it as a political stunt that would reward. the rich more than the poor. Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie accused the prime minister of using NHS staff as a “ram for the constitution,” pointing to the think tank’s estimate that the prime minister’s government had £ 1 billion in unallocated cash.

The Ipsos MORI survey was based on interviews with 1,000 Scottish adults aged 16 and over between 20 and 26 November.

It suggests that if there were a second independence referendum tomorrow, 56 percent would vote in favor, compared to 44 percent who would vote against, a resounding 12-point lead.

With the Holyrood elections to be held next May, the SNP is at 55 percent (three points less compared to the beginning of October, while the Conservatives are at 22 percent (three percent).

Labor is at 14 percent (one up) and Liberal Democrats are at six points (two up).

Ms. Sturgeon announced the “one-time thank you payment” in her speech at her party’s annual conference yesterday.

The £ 180 million plan will reward more than 300,000 employees, including nurses and doctors.

During her speech, Ms Sturgeon also called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to make the bonus tax exempt, although the idea was quickly rejected by the Treasury.

A spokesperson for the Fraser of Allander Institute later said: “Exemption from any tax credit is not generally seen as a good use of tax policy.

“There’s a reason bonuses are taxed – if they weren’t, everyone would want them to be paid in bonuses rather than regular pay.

“Making an exception to the rule once opens up the possibility of endless lobbying in the future for tax-exempt bonuses, which is not something any government should encourage.”

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The Institute suggested that the “inevitable rejection” of Ms Sturgeon’s pleas “served exactly what the Scottish government had really wanted: another example of the decentralized fiscal framework apparently not working.”

In a blog post, Allander Institute Fraser Director Graeme Roy and Scottish budget expert David Eiser added: “Exempting the bond from tax would offer higher rate taxpayers a significantly greater tax cut than to taxpayers of basic rates.

“It’s really not clear what the justification for this would be.

“It is perfectly legitimate, and indeed desirable, to want to recognize and reward NHS / care workers for their efforts in recent months.

“But if the legislators want those employees to benefit £ 500 after tax, the solution is to pay a higher gross bonus.”

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Mr Rennie said: “SNP ministers should show more respect for the NHS and care workers.”

“They should get them the money they think they should be paid and not use them as a battering ram in the constitution.

“The Allander Fraser Institute estimated last week that the SNP has a billion pounds unallocated.

“It is important that Scottish ministers quickly establish what other sectors they will support with that money.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross added: “The SNP has all the funds and powers they need to complete this payment today.

“Any additional income tax would go to the Scots, not to the UK government, so if they increase it, nobody misses it.

“Why does the SNP feel the need to accept a £ 500 NHS thank you payment and fan the divide with a distinctly political move, all to provoke a fight with the UK government?”

Labor MSP Jackie Baillie said: “Frontline health and care workers are not political balls for the SNP and the Conservatives to score cheap points.

“The announced payment is welcome, but it is clear that the SNP could not resist another constitutional dispute rather than simply helping the workers.

“The Scottish government can increase the pay if it wants to – it should go ahead.”

Meanwhile, regarding the poll, Emily Gray, Managing Director of Ipsos MORI Scotland, said: “Our latest poll results are clearly very favorable for the SNP, with high support for both the party and an independent Scotland.

“The party’s record on key issues like the economy, education and public services has been heavily criticized by conservatives in recent months.

“However, those messages do not appear to affect Scottish voters, who trust the SNP much more in the economy, education and the NHS than any other political party.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “This poll shows once again that only Scottish Conservatives have the strength and determination to stand up to the SNP.”

“While the SNP is focused on dividing the country again with its push for a second independence referendum next year, the Scottish Conservatives’ priorities are to rebuild Scotland’s economy, fight the pandemic, protect jobs, improve schools and restore power to communities “.

SNP MSP Tom Arthur said: “It is the SNP who is giving Scotland’s health and care workers a thank you bonus hitherto unmatched anywhere else in the UK, and it is Boris Johnson who is outrageously threatening to take as much as the. you can keep them away in taxes.

“Instead of defending the indefensible, Scottish Conservatives should try to use whatever waning influence they think they have over the Prime Minister to tell him to do the right thing.

“While the income tax is carried over, the tax on this bond would not be returned to Scotland until 2023-24, and the National Insurance contributions would simply be absorbed into the Tory Treasury and would never return to Scotland.”