Can Pay, Won't Pay


The Scottish Government's sudden move to prevent Scotland's 32 local councils from pursuing historic poll tax debts is all about politics not public finance.

The politics are driven by the SNP's desire to usurp Scottish Labour in its municipal heartlands in Glasgow and Lanarkshire which I can well understand, but there are some troubling aspects to the Government's decision to introduce a new law on debt collection.

Because if as the First Minister has claimed, there is a 20 year limit on pursuing historic poll tax debts which may go as far back as 1989, then why would a new law required at all?

Doesn't make sense.    

In addition while I can understand writing off debts that are uneconomic or impossible to collect, the reality is that a significant number of debtors fall into the 'Can Pay, Won't Pay' category.

So what's the point of not pursuing people who have the financial means to pay their debts, either now or in the future, yet refuse to do so.

For example, a person who owns property, a former council house perhaps, bought with a generous public subsidy, but without a significant income.

Now such a person would not be pursued for an historic poll tax debt because on the face of things they do not possess the means to pay and their house cannot be sold from under their feet, although in effect they are thumbing their nose at everyone else who fought and campaigned against the poll tax, but paid their dues in the end.

Apparently local councils collected £1.3 million in poll tax debt in 2009-10 and a further £396,000 in 2013 and while they were never going to recoup the £425 million said to be outstanding, it does seem completely crazy to me that 'Can Pay, Won't Pay' freeloaders are to be allowed to walk away Scot-free.   

Now that may be good politics from the SNP's point of view, but it's hardly fair or socially just.

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