It seems that Alex Salmond has expressed a degree of support for Thatcher's economic policies. If he is positioning the SNP as a more authentically social-democratic alternative to Labour, then that seems a strange thing to say. It could also backfire, since one of the SNP leaflets in Glasgow East showed the photo of Brown with Thatcher - implying that they were anti-Thatcherite whereas Labour was...

Alex Salmond, leader of the SNP is playing find the lady, or in this case find the tax, with his plan to switch from Council Tax to a Local Income Tax (LIT). What this will do is threefold 1. It will consolidate the burden upon the working and middle classes and allow the rich to reduce their exposure. It might have the benefit of relieving those who are not poor enough to get support for Council ...

The following was in the Daily Mail today: Now Salmond wants to axe Scottish council tax - but it will leave the English with an £800m bill Alex Salmond launched an audacious bid to scrap council tax in Scotland – and leave English taxpayers to fund an £800million shortfall. In a clear sign he is spoiling for a

In between singing the praises of Thatcherite economics, SNP Leader Alex Salmond was whining a week ago about the fact that they get a poor deal from the media in Scotland (Welcome to office, chum, it comes with the territory). But I suspect even Salmond's crew get a better press than the Tories. Here's a wonderful editorial in the Daily Record... and do they really, really not like Andr...

THE row over the SNP government handing back tax- raising powers to London has been dismissed by the former trade union leader drafted in by Alex Salmond to head a review into

The row in Scotland over the Alex Salmond interview with Total Politics and his views on Thatcherism is even more interesting when you consider that in 1976 the SNP made covert approaches to Margaret Thatcher over the Labour government's devolution bill. I've just been reading a page in the Margaret Thatcher Archives, which reveals all... Devolution occupied huge quantities of parliament...

Tom Griffin (London, OK):The Scotsman brings us news that the SNP is preparing to do a deal with the Liberal Democrats to abolish the council tax in Scotland. As the SNP is running the Scottish Government as a minority administration, it needs the support of one of the other main parties to get its plans through. The Lib Dems support the principle of a local income tax, but are adamant that it mus...

The SNP government is investigating how to tax unearned income in a change to flagship plans to replace the council tax, it was revealed today.

The Scotsman reports that the Lib Dems are going to come to the rescue of the SNP to ensure that the council tax is replaced by a local income tax in Scotland: SNP ministers are prepared to do a deal with the Liberal Democrats which could see every council in Scotland set its own income tax

The SNP government is investigating how to tax unearned income in a change to flagship plans to replace the council tax, it was revealed today.