Hollow political phrases won’t dull people’s desire for a better world

A just and compassionate Scotland is one with strong, sustained social investment to end the injustice of poverty, and to make sure that everyone has the chance to develop their potential.

But for too long, our country's vast wealth has not been properly used to break down the barriers to a secure life that face far too many of our people. They are denied the adequate income and resources that we all need to build a better life for ourselves, for our families, and for our world.

That's a failure of democracy - because people in Scotland strongly support increased social investment. 64% of people here believe that the level of taxation and spending on health, education and social benefits should be increased, while just 32% think it should stay the same.

Some 68% believe that income should be redistributed from the better-off to those who are less well-off, while just 16% disagree.

That's why we were proud to join Oxfam Scotland, IPPR Scotland and more than 50 other organisations to call on the Scottish Government to use its financial powers to put our country's wealth to good use, through sustained increased investment for a better Scotland.

When The Times recently reported on Oxfam's campaign, the phrase used to discuss proposals for a local inheritance tax was a 'death tax'.

I had heard that phrase before. It was created by a Republican political consultant in the United States called Frank Luntz in the 1990s.

For years, the 'estate tax' in the United States had been largely uncontroversial. People believed that taxing the estates of those who could afford it, was a just way of raising investment for a strong society, and only about 2 out of every 1,000 estates would pay it.

I had heard that phrase before. It was created by a Republican political consultant in the United States called Frank Luntz in the 1990s.

The Scottish-American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie said: "Of all forms of taxation, this seems the wisest. Men who continue hoarding great sums all their lives, the proper use of which for public ends would work good to the community, should be made to feel that the community, in the form of the state, cannot thus be deprived of its proper share.”

But the idea of a 'death tax' deliberately clouds and confuses the issue. We all die, so many people hearing the phrase began to think that every estate would have to pay it, not just the estates of the very wealthiest. Opposition in the States grew, and the percentage of US revenue raised by the estate tax has subsequently been cut significantly over the years by Congress.

We are disappointed that outlets in our media are now using this terminology that was created to deliberately confuse people.

Just as happened in the United States, a small minority here want to end tax on big inheritances, preventing that money from being used to invest in the public good. They have some supporters in Parliament. They have supporters in the media.

But, we should be clear that arguing against that investment means arguing against compassion and justice. It means arguing against a secure society where everyone has what they need to thrive. And it means arguing against a country where all of us can prosper and enjoy the benefits of our modern society.

We’re confident that the use of hollow political phrases won’t dull people’s desire for a better world for themselves and the generations to come. At heart, tax isn't about money; it’s not about politics; it's about recognising our shared humanity.