Glasgow MSP Sandra White, slammed the ConDem coalition for its plans to forge ahead with  plans to raise national insurance alongside the increase in VAT as evidence emerged that the moves will cost public services in Scotland nearly £140 million.

Parliamentary answers have shown that the changes will cost the NHS over £40 million and the Scottish Government and its agencies over £50 million, at a time when frontline services are already under pressure due to further budget cuts due to be announced by the Westminster Government.

Commenting on the revelations Sandra White said: "Despite a manifesto pledge not to implement Labour's 'jobs tax' the Tories and Liberals have pressed ahead regardless, showing, once again, blatant disregard for what they stood for  at the election and the people who voted for them.

"The Scottish Government is to be credited for having done everything in its power to ensure that frontline services are protected and the fragile recovery we are seeing in Scotland will be put seriously at risk by Westminster's stealth taxes.

"What's more while we can calculate the costs to public services, the extra costs that the private sector,  Scotland's economic driver, will be burdened with, will make many small companies think twice about taking on extra workers at a time when real action is needed to reduce unemployment.

"What is clear is that Labour, the Liberals and the Tories all support taxing the public and private sectors more and it is only the SNP which is standing up for our public services and our businesses, putting forward plans that will ensure a lasting recovery and protecting frontline services.

"It's even clearer that in the face of enforced budget cuts and extra tax the calls for Scottish Independence are growing louder."