TORIES PLAN TRIPLE WHAMMY OF CUTS FOR SCOTLAND

TORIES PLAN TRIPLE WHAMMY OF CUTS FOR SCOTLAND

"CAMERON'S DISASTROUS MESSAGE FOR SCOTLAND"

SNP Treasury Spokesperson, Stewart Hosie MP, has today accused the Tories of
planning a triple whammy of budget cuts for Scotland. Commenting on
Michael Gove's interview on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Mr Hosie said:

"Warm words from the Tory high command cannot mask their stated intention
to impose a triple whammy of cuts to Scotland's budget.

"The Tories are backing massive cuts to Scotland's budget next year - the
first real terms cut since devolution, they want to go further and faster
in the years thereafter, and earlier this week, David Cameron let it slip
that he plans a new spending formula that will further reduce Scottish
cash.

"The Tories so-called real change means short change for Scotland.

"If this is the Tory Leader's message to Scotland, it will be the Tories
sole seat north of the Border that will be getting cut.

"The phoney war between Labour and the Tories has nothing to offer
Scotland. Both are committed to making swingeing cuts to Scotland's budget
while frittering away billions of pounds on a the Trident nuclear weapons
system - an obscene vanity project the people of Scotland do not want.

"To get through these tough times, the people of Scotland need local
champions who will stand up for their interests. Only the SNP will speak
up for Scotland's services as the London parties race to slash funding.

"Westminster is holding Scotland back. The only way Scotland can thrive
economically is with fiscal autonomy. As the official GERS report lays
out, Scotland recorded a current budget surplus over the three years to
2007/08 of £2.3bn while the UK ran up a deficit of £24bn over the same
period.