TORY/LIB BUDGET AN IDEOLOGICAL SLASH AND BURN EXERCISE
For immediate release 22 June 2010
Greens today argued that George Osborne's first Budget is an act of ideological vandalism from the right-wing alliance of the Tories and Lib Dems, with political cover provided by Labour's failures, and that Scotland will pay a significant and unnecessary price. The party believes that, the UK-wide deficit could be reduced entirely by a more progressive taxation system and a clampdown on tax loopholes and tax avoidance.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"The pre-Budget spin has tried to persuade people that subjecting public services to an ideological slash and burn exercise will somehow help the country. Quite the opposite: today's catalogue of shame includes further privatisation of rail services and the Royal Mail, proposals that undermine the country's long-term future. Those in most need face benefit cuts, while business will see their taxes fall. The risk of a second recession has grown today, even as the Chancellor redistributes massive amounts of wealth from the poorest to the richest.
"Cuts were not inevitable, nor were they necessary. Greens believe the gap could be plugged with fair progressive taxation and by tackling the