Nicola Sturgeon accuses Tories of 'utter ineptitude' after Liz Truss u-turn on top tax rate

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Nicola Sturgeon has accused the Conservatives of "utter ineptitude" after the UK Government announced it would no longer cut the top rate of income tax for millionaires.The U-turn was made at 8am despite Liz Truss declaring yesterday she would not change her party's controversial economic policies.

The new prime minister and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng have faced a week of intense pressure after announcing a mini-budget which slashed taxes for the wealthy.But Kwarteng announced early on Monday that the scrapping of the top rate of tax would not go ahead in the wake of market upheaval.The pound dropped to its lowest level against the dollar after the mini-budget and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Bank of England intervened.Income tax levels in Scotland are set by Holyrood and SNP ministers had been under pressure from Conservatives to replicate the cuts north of the Border.Sturgeon said the Scottish Conservatives should now “be reflecting this morning”.She tweeted: “UK Government U-turns on top tax rate abolition because it’s a ‘distraction’.

Morally wrong and hugely costly for millions is a better description. Utter ineptitude."Perhaps those who slammed Scottish Government for not immediately following suit should also be reflecting this morning."But speaking to the BBC in the hours after the tax cut was scrapped, Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy said the Scottish Government should pass on the cut to the basic rate of tax – which will still go ahead.When asked if the Scottish Government should go ahead with the cut to the top rate of tax regardless of Monday’s climbdown, Hoy said that was “not an objective of the (UK) Government”."The question now for Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP is are they going to continue