BROWN MAKING WRONG CHOICES WITH SCOTTISH SPENDING CUTS

BROWN MAKING WRONG CHOICES WITH SCOTTISH SPENDING CUTS

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s speech to the TUC today (Tuesday), SNP Treasury Spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP hit out at Labour’s plans to cut Scotland’s budget.

Mr Hosie said:

“Gordon Brown talks about cuts in the future but the reality the UK Government is making real cuts, right now.

“Imposing cuts to public investment while the economy is struggling to re-establish growth is exactly the wrong policy prescription and can only have the effect of putting recovery at risk. In Scotland, Labour’s £500 million cuts could destroy 9,000 jobs and hit frontline services.

“The SNP Scottish Government will set out its budget this week and is working harder than ever to ensure that we invest in its priorities and stimulate a strong recovery but the UK Government’s cuts agenda pose an undeniable threat.

“The UK Government must demonstrate its commitment to Scotland’s economy at the Pre-Budget Report this autumn – and allow the Scottish Government to accelerate investment into 2010/11, just as it has done this year to support thousands of construction jobs across Scotland in these tough economic times.

“The UK Government is also making the wrong choices for the longer-term. We need to change the profile of public spending by scrapping unnecessary, unaffordable, ‘white elephant’ projects such as Trident and ID cards – not by slashing front-line services like health and education, and capital investment.

“Labour are presiding over the first real terms fall in Scotland’s public spending since the dark days of the Tories’ spending plans in the 1990s, which will be hugely damaging to jobs and services.

“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.

“It has taken Gordon Brown months to even acknowledge that Labour are making cuts, now he must acknowledge the damage those cuts will do to Scotland’s economy.”