Westminster must 'Tory-proof' Scotland’s budget and stop cuts
Following today’s Scottish Emergency Budget Review, the Scottish Greens have called for the UK government to ‘Tory-proof’ Scotland’s budget and ensure that Scotland does not pay the price for the UK’s skyrocketing inflation rate, the highest of any G7 nation.
Inflation has wiped £1.7billion off the value of the Scottish budget since it was set at the start of the year, with the UK Government refusing to increase the funding given to Scotland to compensate for this.
Scottish Greens finance spokesperson, Ross Greer MSP, said:
“With Greens in government we are prioritising support for those who need it most in the face of Westminster's economic incompetence, and are doing all we can to protect them from the cuts and damage the Tories have inflicted on Scotland’s budget and our communities.
“Despite brutal real-terms cuts from Westminster, we have delivered free bus travel for under 22s, increased the Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week for every eligible child and ensured public contracts are only given to companies paying at least the Real Living Wage. These are progressive changes which stand in stark contrast to the cruelty and incompetence of Westminster.
“We have been working to tackle child poverty, but Rishi Sunak and his predecessors have allowed prices to soar and bills to skyrocket. With runaway inflation and escalating interest rates, they are punishing millions of households. These Tory-inflicted calamities have made things even harder for devolved governments, who are largely hostage to the financial decisions made by the UK Government.
“The Chancellor has made clear that nothing will be off the table when it comes to cuts. We cannot allow chaos in Downing Street to detract from the work we are doing to build a fairer, greener and better Scotland.
“That is why we need a Tory-proofed budget, so that we can get away from the incompetence and cruelty of a UK government that Scotland did not vote for and can do nothing to remove. At the very least, Westminster should increase Scotland’s budget in line with inflation, particularly given that inflation is at this high level as a result of the damaging decisions the Tories have made.
“The position that Scotland is now in underlines the huge limitations of devolution, with tax powers so limited that we are treated more like a toddler than a partner in the union. We need extra powers even if we are to make basic changes like vary tax rates in-year, borrow the funds we need or maintain an adequate reserve.
“The UK government has made clear that it has no interest in devolving the financial levers that are needed. It is clearer than ever that independence is the only realistic route to securing the powers we need to operate like a normal country.”