KEN LIVINGSTONE ADDS VOICE TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST LABOUR CUTS.

KEN LIVINGSTONE ADDS VOICE TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST LABOUR CUTS.

FORMER MAYOR SPEAKS UP WHILE SCOTTISH LABOUR STAY SILENT.

Labour’s former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has today urged Alasdair Darling and Gordon Brown not to cut the budgets of devolved administrations.

The Scottish Government, alongside the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies has called on the UK Government not to introduce what would amount to £500million of cuts to Scotland’s budget.

Asked on BBC's Politics Show how he would approach the upcoming budget Mr Livingstone said;

“The last thing you need to do is cut the devolved government’s budget - whether it’s London or Scotland”

SNP MSP and Finance Committee member Joe FitzPatrick MSP welcomed Mr Livingstone’s comments;

“It seems Ken Livingstone can stick up for Scottish investment, where Labour’s Scottish leaders will not.

“Ken Livingstone understands what the UK Government does not - that the last thing you do in a recession is cut vital public spending by the devolved governments.

“At a time when public sector investment is more important than ever the Chancellor’s plan to slash £500 million from Scottish spending this year and next will be deeply damaging.

“Ken Livingstone has said the words that Iain Gray dare not speak. London Labour should listen to Livingstone and to the joint voices of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Finance Ministers and end this ridiculous plan to slash Scotland’s spending in the face of Gordon Brown’s recession.”