CAMERON BLUNDER ON SCOTS SPENDING

CAMERON BLUNDER ON SCOTS SPENDING

PLANNING TRIPLE CUTS WHAMMY FOR SCOTLAND

Commenting on David Cameron’s interviews in the Scottish press today – in
which he commits the Tories to a new spending formula which is ‘expected
to reduce’ spending in Scotland (Scottish Daily Mail), SNP Westminster
leader Angus Robertson said:

“This is a huge pre-election blunder by David Cameron. The Tories have
wobbled on spending at Westminster, and he has just put his foot in it in
Scotland by admitting that they plan to impose a triple cuts whammy north
of the Border. The Tories are signed up to the swingeing spending cuts in
the pipleline for next year – the first real terms cut in the Scottish
budget since devolution; they want to go further and faster in the years
thereafter; and now Cameron has let slip that he plans a further special
spending cut just for Scotland.

“If this is David Cameron’s message to Scotland, it will be the Tories’
sole seat north of the Border that will be getting cut.

“Instead of the phoney war between the London parties – where they vie
with each other in talking Scotland down – the SNP offer local champions
to stand up for their constituency and stand up for Scotland.

“The reality – set out in the official GERS report – is that Scotland
recorded a current budget SURPLUS over the three years to 2007/08 of £2.3
billion, while the UK ran up a DEFICIT of £24 billion over the same
period.

“Scotland’s oil and gas industry is the only thing keeping the London
Treasury afloat – over the next six years, £50 billion worth of North Sea
revenues will flow to the London exchequer. That alone represents over
£20,000 for every household in Scotland.

“David Cameron wants to grab even more of Scotland’s resources, and send
back even less of our own revenues.

“By letting the cat out of the bag in this way with these inept
interviews, David Cameron has underlined the need for fiscal autonomy and
Scottish independence – and SNP champions to protect and promote
Scotland’s interests.”