‘Failing’ SNP unveils £500m of spending cuts

Scotland’s SNP government was forced to unveil £500million of spending cuts today as it admitted the country’s economy was in tatters – but blamed everyone but itself. 

Finance minister Shona Robison took aim at Brexit, the war in Ukraine, inflation and the actions of the UK government for the vast swathe of changes she unveiled today. 

Facing Holyrood today after MSPs returned to Holyrood after their two-month summer break, she was jeered as she said that an independent Scotland ‘would not be paying the price for bad decisions made in Westminster’.

She also made repeated references to the ‘austerity’ launched by the UK Labour government that won power two months ago.  

She has already warned of ‘tough decisions’ to come, with a number of policies already having been axed such as free bus travel for asylum seekers.

But critics have pointed the finger as the separatists’ ‘failure’ to manage the government’s money.

Last week the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission found that ‘much of the pressure’ on the finances has come from ‘the Scottish government’s own decisions’.

It pointed to a council tax freeze and bumper public sector pay deals saying the SNP had narrowed ‘room for manoeuvre now and in the future’. 

Scottish Conservative finance spokeswoman Liz Smith said: ‘Much of the pressure that is facing the country’s finances is down to the Scottish government’s own decisions.’

And Scottish Labour‘s Michael Marra added: ‘This statement is a threadbare, shameless attempt to once again pass the buck. After 17 years in power, the SNP is still insisting ”it wasn’t us”.’

Finance minister Shona Robison blamed Brexit, the war in Ukraine, inflation and the actions of the UK government for the vast swathe of changes she unveiled today.

Scottish Conservative finance spokeswoman Liz Smith said: ‘Much of the pressure that is facing the country’s finances is down to the Scottish government’s own decisions.’

First Minister John Swinney is set to lay out his programme for government tomorrow, as his party tries to recover from a disastrous general election result

Government departments will be asked to make a further £188 million of additional savings, with these coming from across all portfolios, Ms Robison said.

This includes £115.8 million of savings from the health and social care budget – though, in a letter to MSPs on Holyrood’s Finance Committee, Ms Robison offered ‘assurances that the health portfolio will seek to protect key frontline emergency services’.

Elsewhere, spending on transport is down by £23.7 million; net zero and energy is reduced by £23.4 million; with social justice down £15.7 million.

The cuts were revealed as Ms Robison gave a statement updating the Parliament on the Scottish public finances on the first day that MSPs returned from their summer recess.

Ministers had already announced a scheme which cut rail fares at the busiest times of the day will not be continued, which together with other measures will save a further £65 million.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government will make up to £60 million of further savings as part of ’emergency spend controls’, focused on recruitment, overtime, travel and marketing spending.

The Scottish Finance Secretary stressed this ‘further and more urgent action’ was needed to ‘ensure we can balance the Scottish budget in 2024-25’.

But she also warned of further tough decisions, saying: ‘As we look ahead, it is clear that further significant action will be needed to reset the public finances onto a sustainable path.

‘The Chancellor has made clear that UK Government funding will continue to be tightly constrained. The Prime Minister has also made clear the difficult decisions to come.’

But Ms Robison hinted that the Scottish Government would not further increase income tax at the next Scottish budget – slated for December 4. 

First Minister John Swinney is set to lay out his programme for government tomorrow, as his party tries to recover from a disastrous general election result. 

Last week the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission found that ‘much of the pressure’ on the finances has come from ‘the Scottish government’s own decisions’

A UK Government spokeswoman said: ‘We’ve been clear that tough decisions must be taken to restore economic stability and address the £22 billion hole in the public finances left by the last government. This is a challenge facing the whole of the UK, including Scotland.

‘The Chancellor reiterated this in a constructive meeting with the First Minister and Finance Minister in Glasgow last week, and we are committed to working with the Scottish Government on our shared priorities to fix the foundations of our economy, so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of the United Kingdom better off.’  

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘This SNP Government have gone four times over budget building ferries, sold off Scotland’s prize seabed on the cheap and handed £50million to an engineering firm that went bust.

‘As a result, there is less money to go round for public services. They’re promising to spend millions on misguided plans to give ministers more control over care services.

‘The nationalists have got themselves in a mess because their focus has always been on breaking up the UK, not delivering public services.’