SSP Claims Labour Party Wrong About Scotland's Lack of Rich People

EDINBURGH, January 6 (Sputnik), Mark Hirst — The leader of Scottish Labour Party is wrong to claim there are not enough wealthy people in Scotland who could be taxed to pay for 1,000 more nurses, Colin Fox, Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) spokesman told Sputnik on Tuesday.

On Monday, Jim Murphy who was elected leader of Scottish Labour Party last month, claimed he would use a proposed tax on mansions across the UK to fund 1,000 new nursing posts in Scotland. But in a swipe at the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) Murphy claimed the SNP would be unable to match the election pledge north of the border due to a lack of wealthy people living in Scotland.

"Jim Murphy is wrong. There are plenty of mansions in Scotland. He wants to come and have a look around Edinburgh and Aberdeen where in the first nine months of 2014 over 90 houses were sold, each valued at over $1.5million," Fox, a former Member of the Scottish Parliament, told Sputnik.

"The truth is 1,000 nurses across Scotland is very little to ask the wealthy in Scotland to pay," Fox said.

The SSP leader claimed Murphy's comments reflected a change in Labour Party's strategy in Scotland and an attempt to attack the SNP on the left of the political spectrum, but warned that Murphy, as a staunch supporter of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, lacked credibility.

Murphy's figures on how much would be raised by a mansion tax did not add up, a member of SNP, Angus Robertson told Sputnik. He added that since the SNP took office, the number of qualified nurses and midwives has increased by around 1,700 in Scotland's National Health Service.