SCOTTISH Labour blasted Holyrood yesterday for failing to tax the rich as official figures revealed that income inequality has increased in Scotland.

According to Scottish government data for 2014/15 the richest 10 per cent of Scots now have more income than the poorest 40 per cent combined. This is increase of a tenth on the previous year.

Despite this windfall for the wealthy, however, Scotland’s SNP government has refused to back Scottish Labour’s plans to introduce a 50p tax rate for the richest 1 per cent, which the party says could be used to invest in public services.

Scottish Labour economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie called on Holyrood to “use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to tax the richest so we can invest in education and stop the cuts to our public services.”

Ms Baillie said: “Education is the single most important economic investment a government can make, it means giving our people the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future.

“The fallout from the EU referendum will have aftershocks on a Scottish economy that is already unfair, with those and the top making much more than the rest.”

She warned that “the SNP faces a choice — it can work with parties like Labour to stop the cuts and invest in public services, or it can side with the Tories to push through more cuts.”

Scottish Labour wants to introduce a 50p tax on income over £150,000 and invest the money raised directly into tackling the attainment gap in schools.