GRACELESS GRAY 5 MONTHS LATE IN CALL FOR ACCELERATED CAPITAL SPENDING

GRACELESS GRAY 5 MONTHS LATE IN CALL FOR ACCELERATED CAPITAL SPENDING

SNP WARNED ABOUT LABOUR'S RECESSION DITHER LAST DECEMBER

Commenting on Iain Gray’s belated support for capital acceleration from the Westminster Treasury SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick – a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee – said his belated support for accelerated capital spending reflected the dither the UK Labour government has shown towards the recession.

Mr FitzPatrick pointed to a statement the SNP released in December 2008 highlighting how Labour had dragged their feet in the face of recession and the financial crisis which has seen it become the longest UK recession since records began.

The statement details how the Scottish Government announced accelerated funding to directly stimulate the Scottish economy in August 2008 as well as how governments throughout the world were already putting in place their own stimulus packages months before the UK eventually announced their package in November 2008.

Commenting Mr FitzPatrick said:

“Everyone can welcome a repentant sinner but the lack of grace from Mr Gray about his belated support for capital acceleration only draws attention to how Labour have dithered overall in the face of this recession.

“The fact that the latest statistics UK is in the longest recorded recession since records began underlines how Labour cannot be trusted to admit their failure.

“That Iain Gray takes five months to follow the SNP Government only shows how dither and indecision is the hallmark of Labour’s response to this recession.

“It is the SNP Government which has been proved right in its calls for further accelerated capital spending to protect jobs and support the economy through Labour’s recession. Now Labour is coming round to that view.

“The SNP will not give up in calling for further capital acceleration in the Pre-Budget Report and will press the Chancellor to confirm that he is prepared to do that in order to safeguard Scottish jobs and promote Scotland’s economic recovery.”