“The Government Economic Strategy”

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 14 September 2011.

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Photo of Patrick Harvie Patrick Harvie Green

I am not sure that that view would be supported by, for example, Richard Wilkinson, the co-author of “The Spirit Level”, with whom, coincidentally, I had a chat at the Green Party of England and Wales conference at the weekend, where he presented arguments about whether growth actually benefits human wellbeing in rich, developed countries, as opposed to in poor, developing countries.

The commitments are there on the page, but they do not show up in the Government’s priorities, one of which we will debate tomorrow in the chamber: the Scottish National Party’s desire to cut corporation tax. I cite the example of Amazon, an immensely profitable company with substantial UK operations, which has deliberately arranged its affairs in such a way as to avoid paying corporation tax. In 2007, that vast multinational company is reported to have paid less than £20,000 in corporation tax. How much would a company like that pay under SNP plans? £1.50?

There are other things that we could do with corporation tax powers. We could link corporation tax to those social and environmental priorities through maximum wage ratios, payment of the living wage or lower carbon emissions.

We should look at those social and environmental priorities as being absolutely on a par with the economic ones. In fact, the economic priorities and the economic welfare of our country depend on them. If we do not do that, I am afraid that we will simply be preaching Stiglitzism while practising neoliberalism. At this point in the SNP’s history, and given the economic circumstances, I appeal to the Government not to become just another political party that celebrates and courts the support of multimillionaires and tax exiles while cutting their taxes.