CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves must “put fairness first” and listen to two-third of Scots who back raising taxes on the rich, Oxfam says.

An Oxfam Scotland study found 68 per cent of people in Scotland would see the richest pay more, and 79 per cent favour it over further cuts, with the same percentage backing a 2 per cent tax on assets worth more than £10m — a measure Oxfam argues could raise as much as £24bn a year.

Ahead of the Chancellor’s spring statement, Oxfam Scotland’s Jamie Livingstone  said: “It’s indefensible that public spending to support those in poverty and crisis is being slashed, while private wealth is quietly stashed away.

“People in Scotland are crystal clear, they’d rather tax the richest than see cuts to public spending.

“It’s time for the UK government to put fairness first, tax the super-rich and protect people in poverty.”

A Treasury spokesperson said: “Our progressive tax system means the top 1 per cent of taxpayers contribute nearly a third of income tax, with revenue from wealth and asset taxes such as capital gains tax and inheritance tax going towards funding tens of billions of pounds for public services.”