CHANCELLOR SHOULD TAKE OWN ADVICE ON CUTS

CHANCELLOR SHOULD TAKE OWN ADVICE ON CUTS

SPENDING CUTS RISK CHOKING OFF RECOVERY

SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP has called on the Chancellor to act on his own advice after Alistair Darling, delivering the Callaghan lecture in Cardiff today, warned cutting public spending now would risk "choking off" the recovery and prolonging the downturn.

Mr Hosie pointed out that Scotland faces a real terms cut to its Budget of £500m from 20010/11 as a result of Labour cuts.

Mr Hosie said:

“Alistair Darling needs to put his money where his mouth is and rule out Labour’s planned spending cuts to Scotland’s budget. The Chancellor is absolutely right that cutting frontline spending now risks choking off recovery and prolonging the downturn – and he needs to act on his own advice.

“Now that Alistair Darling has admitted that cutting public spending before the recession has ended is the wrong thing to do, he must acknowledge the reality of his party’s damaging cuts agenda.

“Labour are planning to raid Scotland’s health, education and housing budgets by forcing the first real terms cut in Scotland’s public expenditure since the Tories in the 1990s.

“In contrast, the Scottish Government is focussed on investing in recovery from recession - today launching a skills support package to provide real financial support to businesses and individuals through the recession.

“Alistair Darling’s double standards show exactly why Scotland needs to be responsible for all of our own resources, with an independent Scottish Parliament controlling all revenue and spending in Scotland.”