Cuts Will Have A "Profound Effect" On Services, Robison Says.
The finance secretary has issued a warning that cuts to the Scottish government’s budget will have a “profound effect” on its capacity to provide services.
Ahead of a statement today in which she is likely to reveal significant cuts to public services in Scotland, Shona Robison further asserted that the UK is entering a “new era of austerity” under the Labour government at Westminster.
Weekend newspaper reports said that non-essential spending has already been stopped and that the cuts may have a total value of over £500 million.
Ms. Robison claims she has little choice because of funding cuts made by the UK government, but Labour argues an October budget that is “painful” is necessary to fill a “black hole” in public finances left by the previous Conservative government.
“A new austerity era”
According to Ms. Robison, “it is evident that we are embarking on a completely new phase of austerity under the Labour government.
“Our capacity to serve the people of Scotland will be severely impacted by the cuts they are proposing, but the SNP government will make every effort to shield the populace and public services from the budget cuts Westminster is making.”
She also stated that the budget of her administration would remain “balanced”.
But according to a report released last week by the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), an independent economic forecaster, “the Scottish government’s own decisions are responsible for a large portion of the pressure.”
According to its assessment, the Scottish government’s “room for manoeuvre now and in the future” had been reduced due to social security reforms, a freeze on council taxes, and more generous public sector pay accords than other regions of the UK.
The Scottish government has already announced that peak rail fares will return, that free bus travel for asylum seekers will end, that a plan to give iPads to those who are “digitally excluded” will be postponed, and that universal winter heating payments for seniors will be discontinued.
Concerns about the effects on Scotland’s cultural scene and environmental organizations have already been voiced.
On Wednesday, First Minister John Swinney is scheduled to give a speech to the Scottish
Parliament introducing his first Program for Government.
He stated that the government needs to work “smarter and harder” during his speech to the SNP conference over the weekend, but he refuted claims that the party was imposing austerity in Scotland.
He stated on Monday on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland that the administration that was devolved was “living within its means”.
Prior to this, Ms. Robison told BBC Scotland News that the devolved countries required greater “fiscal flexibility” and that the Scottish budget was being negatively impacted by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ cuts.
Michael Marra, the finance spokesman for Scottish Labour, said that the SNP was engaging in “secrecy and spin” about the nation’s finances.
“It’s time for the SNP to tell us the truth about what lies ahead and come clean about the financial chaos it has created,” he declared. The SNP has promised to protect “essential” jobs from cuts, but it has not provided any clarification on what exactly qualifies as a “essential” position.
“Public sector employees are experiencing uncertainty as a result of this incompetence and lack of planning, while service leaders are experiencing chaos and urgently require clarity.”
According to Scottish Conservatives finance spokeswoman Liz Smith, any additional tax increases would be “devastating” and that the SNP has created a “high tax, low growth environment” that should be overturned.
“Hard choices”
The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton, claimed that the SNP was in “a mess” because their priorities were independence over public services.
He added: “This statement needs to contain a commitment to growing the economy and a grovelling apology for the amount of money that has been wasted”.
The Scottish Greens demanded that “human rights and equality at its heart” be at the center of the next Programme for Government.
A spokesman for the UK government stated that in order to close a £22 billion deficit in public finances left by the previous administration, “tough decisions” were being made.
“We are dedicated to collaborating with the Scottish government on our common goals to strengthen the economic foundations, in order to rebuild Britain and improve the lives of all people living in the United Kingdom,” they continued.
