John Swinney scrambled to defend the SNP’s soaring taxes, hitting out at “Tory spending cuts” in a major campaign speech in Scotland. The SNP leader claimed that a “vote for the Labour Party is a vote for the continuation of Tory spending cuts”. He criticised Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ promise to deliver “iron fiscal discipline”, saying it will “do significant damage to public services in Scotland”. Workers in Scotland who earn more than £28,850 pay more income tax than their counterparts in the rest of the UK as a result of frozen thresholds and higher rates. The average person earning …