SHOCKING £300 MILLION CUTS FOR WALES.

SHOCKING £300 MILLION CUTS FOR WALES.


RHODRI MORGAN CONCEDES £300m LABOUR CUTS FOR WALES

LIBDEM FINANCE CHIEF WARNS OF LABOUR PLANS TO CUT £1bn IN SCOTLAND

SNP MSP Alex Neil – a member of the Scottish Parliament's Finance Committee - has written to the leader of Labour's MSPs highlighting comments by the Labour First Minister of Wales where he concedes that the Chancellor's spending plans which were announced in November will mean almost £300 million of cuts in public services for Wales.

In an interview with the Press Association, Mr Morgan said the UK Government could not yet tell him where in Whitehall the axe would fall. He said: "It's going to be tough. There's no doubt about that…It's not looking terribly promising on that point."

In a parallel development the Lib Dem Finance Convener Edinburgh City Council also warned that Labour's plans could mean cuts to Scottish local government in the region of £130 million.

Commenting Mr Neil said:

"Rhodri Morgan knows the Labour cut will be nearly £300m in Wales and the LibDem Finance Convener of Edinburgh Council is expressing similar concerns. It's now time Iain Gray admitted what his party's plans mean for Scotland.

"Will Iain Gray now admit that the cut is likely to be £500m a year in Scotland from 2010-2012, as calculated by David Bell?

"Unlike Mr Morgan Labour in Scotland has been decidedly quiet on what services would face the axe to meet Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling's cuts.

"The Scottish Government put forward responsible plans to win parliamentary approval to spend Scotland's budget allocation over three years.

"For the UK Government to then come in and plan to chop £1 billion off is totally unacceptable – especially at a time when Scotland is in budget surplus, contributing far more to the UK exchequer than we get back in return.

"Only SNP success in the European and General elections can stop Labour's billion pound cuts in their tracks.