SCOTTISH Labour leader Richard Leonard has called for taxation on wealth while the left-wing think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research has proposed the replacement of council tax with a tax on property values.
Both these proposals would disproportionately hit pensioners.
The Labour party needs to understand that pensioners have not accumulated masses of disposable wealth. They are living in their family homes which they worked hard for over the years.
Many pensioners bought their homes in the 1990s to make provision for their retirement.
The fact that those homes have risen in value is not the fault of the pensioners themselves but of successive Labour and Tory governments that have failed to
build enough affordable houses. The last Labour administration in Scotland built a mere six council houses. It is this failure of the mainstream parties which has forced up the value of homes.
There is a mistaken assumption that pensioners owning their homes is indicative of wealth, when in fact it is more likely to be the case that these pensioners have little or no disposable income. Indeed many are already reliant on family members to give support which would normally be given by the state, eg personal care, assistance with transport, preparation of meals, home cleaning etc. There are large numbers of pensioners who do not wish to be seen to be reliant on charity. So to attack them in their homes is an affront to their hard work over many years, and the huge amount of unpaid support given by family members.
The so-called wealth tied up in family homes is not disposable income. If anything pensioners struggle to maintain their homes in the face of risible interest rates on their savings and the lowest pensions in the developed world.
We worked hard for our homes. They are filled with memories of families we raised and saw take flight. In too many cases they are memories of beloved partners no longer with us.
We call upon Richard Leonard and his Labour party to leave us our memories and leave us our homes.
Dumfries and Galloway Pensioners for Independence
READ MORE: Pensioners will be victims of Labour's 'half-baked' tax plan, say SNP
I MUST admit to being a little frustrated with Martin Hannan’s article in Thursday’s National (Scottish property investment set to soar past £2 billion mark). This article describes an increase in “investment” in Scottish property by large property investment firms such as Pontegadea and Lothbury.
I suspect such firms own vast swathes of Scotland. I’m sure their use of property ownership as a speculative investment tool will benefit their investors. However, I’m not altogether convinced it will benefit the people living and working near these “assets”, as it will artificially inflate the value of property rendering housing and business space even more unaffordable to anyone other than hedge fund managers.
This model of economic “growth” may be the bedrock of the British economy (it’s actually about all that Britain produces) but I don’t think this is what any of us hopes will be considered economic progress in an independent Scotland.
Kenny Wright
InverYess
READ MORE: Scottish property investment set to soar past £2 billion mark
IT’S interesting to see letters supporting independence from Rangers fans (Letters, October 11 and 12). As a Celtic fan, I say let’s encourage this.
I’ve known many Rangers fans over the years who dislike the sectarianism and Unionism associated with the club. However it is endemic within the club and many who support them.
I wouldn’t like to see club colours being prevalent in the independence movement for obvious reasons. When we become a sovereign nation again we must eradicate sectarianism so that it doesn’t pervade our new beginning. I would say to the “Gers fans”: take the fight to Ibrox, wear the independence badges/stickers and maybe, just maybe, you can convince them to change their ways.
David Gill
Address supplied
READ MORE: Letters, October 11
A GAT a sair gunk whan A sein the Scots skrib in the collums o the National (October 11) threipin at we suid haud on ti “Trident” eftir we wun wir friedome.
Ti redd Scotland o nucleir pouer an wappins is ae o the best argils fur bein quat o the UK. We ar ettlin ti gang forrit intil a modren grene fuither, an burthenin wirsells wi pushionous materialls at tak thousants o eirs ti pair ti a siccar stait, an maun be pit in a store fur aw that tyme, is no a guid stert fur a nyow, an bettir, naitioun.
A canna let frae myndin fowk at unner-sie boits isna onie guid fur stappin invades frae the sie, onles ye ar proponin ti drap ane intercontinentall rakket upo the Russianes as thai cum up the Portibello esplanad. Mibbies the wrytar wuid consither emmin a shotter wi a boumb ontil St Petersburg, an waach whyle the hale o the Hailie Loch (forby Glesca) is tirned inti aissis in revengence.
The hale rikmatik maun be a baur – bot ane ill yin fur a sairious blad.
Iain WD Forde
Scotlandwell
READ MORE: Trident can prevent indy Scotland Russian invasion
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