Shameless Scottish Labour claim credit for Tory government's tax breaks

LABOUR have not got a lot to be shouting about after their first three months in office. After all, the headline-grabbing things they have done – like cutting the Winter Fuel Payment – haven’t exactly gone down well.

Perhaps that might go some way to explaining why they’ve taken to blowing their own trumpet for things they haven’t done.

Take for example Anas Sarwar, who in August joined the Labour voices parroting how their new UK Government was already “delivering for Scotland” by securing a protected status for Scotch whisky in Brazil.

The problem? That protected status had actually been secured in June, before Labour even took power.

Apparently unperturbed about little things like the truth, Scottish Labour have only gone and done it again.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been happy to take credit for Tory work (Image: Jane Barlow) In a press release put out on Wednesday, Sarwar’s group loudly proclaimed: “Scottish film-makers will benefit from a new tax break designed to boost the independent film industry announced by the UK Labour Government today.”

Neil Bibby, Scottish Labour’s culture spokesperson, said: “This UK Labour Government tax break is blockbuster news for the Scottish film industry which is a vital part of Brand Scotland.”

He added: “This tax break will pay dividends both culturally and economically, inspire the next generation of talent across the country, deliver more great Scottish content, and sustain a world-leading industry here in Scotland and the wider UK.”

Now, it is true that the Labour Government announced those tax breaks today. It is equally true that the Tory government announced them back in March.

In details published in a policy paper on the UK Government website on March 6, it states: “Films which meet the qualifying criteria for an independent film will be eligible for a higher rate of expenditure credit on their qualifying expenditure.

“The basic rate of credit under Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) is 34% – independent films will receive a rate of 53%.”

Today, the Labour Government announced an eerily similar policy, saying: “Independent film productions costing up to £15 million to benefit from an increased tax relief of 53%.”

One caveat did look suspicious however. The UK Government noted: “Productions qualifying for the relief must have started principal photography on or after 1 April 2024, and only expenditure incurred on or after 1 April 2024 can be claimed.”

April 1 seems an odd date to have chosen if Labour really had done this today – and it wasn’t actually done by the Tories back in March ...