PM BROWN MUST CUT TRIDENT NOT PUBLIC SPENDING.

PM BROWN MUST CUT TRIDENT NOT PUBLIC SPENDING.

Commenting on reports Gordon Brown is to reveal a list of specific spending cuts in an attempt to convince voters Labour will reduce the soaring deficit in public finances the SNP has called on the prime minister to focus Labour cuts on ‘white elephant’ projects like Trident and ID cards - and rule out damaging real terms cuts in Scottish spending.

Commenting on reports in the Independent, SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP said:

"The SNP have a simple suggestion for Gordon Brown to cut his spending - abandon plans to spend £25 billion on a nuclear missile system we do not want or need.

“Gordon Brown must focus Labour’s cuts on unnecessary and unaffordable white elephant projects like Trident and ID cards – and in the teeth of recession Labour must rule-out slashing front-line services like health and education, and capital investment.

“The Prime Minister and Chancellor attack the Tories for planning cuts in UK spending and yet Labour are doing the exact same here in Scotland. The Budget confirmed Labour’s plans for the first real terms cut in Scottish spending since the dark days of the Tory government in the 1990’s. It will mean a real terms cut in Scottish spending, and is the wrong choice in the middle of the recession.

“The SNP want the required savings to be made by the UK Government abandoning its foolhardy £25 billion plan to replace the Trident nuclear missile, saving up to £100 billion over its lifetime. And we are also calling on Labour to completely drop their proposals to spend billions on unwanted and unnecessary ID cards.

“People struggle to understand, at a time when Scotland faces a £500 million budget cut from London, why the UK Government is ploughing billions of pounds into a new generation of unwanted and unnecessary nuclear weapons.

“The UK Government’s catastrophic financial failure underlines the need for Scotland to have responsibility to run our own affairs – with the ability to take the decisions needed to reflate our economy, contribute to recovery, and overcome the Downing Street downturn.”

Details of Labour’s cuts plans can be found at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brown-i-will-cut-spending-1776767.html