The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Scots subject to Tory manifesto spending promises – Mackay
Finance secretary says expenditure and tax linked to election
Scotland’s budget will be subject to the spending promises of the Conservative’s election manifesto, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has warned.
Today will see Mr Mackay unveil the Scottish Government’s tax and spending plans, before Westminster’s budget next month.
The “unusual” timing means Mr Mackay will not have a definitive figure for the block grant from Westminster.
The SNP finance leader said estimations were being taken on spending commitments by Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party during the December election.
Last year’s “Brexit election” resulted in a delay to the UK Budget, which has had a knock-on for devolved parliaments and local authorities.
Mr Mackay said: “This budget is set against the backdrop of heightened uncertainty and risk, created by the UK Government following their decision to delay the UK Budget until March.
“The delayed UK Budget has meant the Scottish Government has had to estimate the Barnett consequentials that could be forthcoming for
Scotland at the UK Budget next month.
“These are based on commitments made during the general election and the UK Government must now deliver on these promises in full.
“The uncertainty caused by both the delay to the UK Budget and exit from the EU last week is unacceptable, and has forced the Scottish Government to take the exceptional decision to publish our budget ahead of the UK Government’s.
“I would urge the Scottish Parliament to work constructively with us and support this budget to provide much needed clarity for local authorities and our vital public services.”
The Scottish Conservatives claimed there was “no case for tax increases or further cuts to public services”.
Finance spokesperson Murdo Fraser MSP said: “There is already a great deal of information in the public domain which enables the finance secretary to go ahead and put his budget proposals to the Scottish Parliament.
“The Welsh Government were able to do that and historically Scottish budgets were presented in September – well ahead of UK budgets.
“So people have had quite enough of the faux outrage from the SNP about budget timing.
“Instead, they should be focusing on how to spend the millions extra coming to Scotland thanks to UK Government spending.”
Scottish Labour finance spokesperson Rhoda Grant said: “The last 13 years of SNP governance have been characterised by timidity and mismanagement on one hand and grandiose bluster on the other.
“The fact of the matter is our NHS, education system, social care and public transport are all in worse shape than they were when the SNP came to power.
“We want to help end this. That is why Scottish Labour are offering to support the government’s budget if they support free bus travel for under25s that will provide opportunities for our young people, provide a fair deal to local government with a focus on social care, fund further and higher education properly and encourage low carbon transport.
“These changes will help to kickstart Scotland’s economy, provide a clear response to the threat of the climate emergency, ensure those in need are properly looked after and share opportunity among all young people, not just a privileged few.”
The Scottish Government may claim it is delivering a budget this afternoon under even more difficult circumstances than usual but council leaders will be watching events at Holyrood very carefully, nonetheless.
One has to have an element of sympathy for Derek Mackay.
Setting a country’s spending for the year should be a science, not a stab in the dark.
The finance secretary only has a vague notion of the amount of money available to him thanks to the late Budget delivery by Chancellor Sajid Javid.
If Mr Mackay’s sums do not, eventually, add up, it may not be his fault as he does not yet know the block grant allocation with which he has to play.
However, the attitude in Westminster seems to be leaning away from austerity and towards a post-brexit public spending bonanza.
The usual trickle-down from the Barnett consequentials may be more of a torrent – less shaking the money tree than turning on the cash taps.
But should Mr Mackay trust to mood music and make extravagant promises?
Such a move would be surprising and relative parsimony may be maintained.
Hard-pressed town hall bean counters, eager to loosen the purse strings themselves, are unlikely to be celebrating by the end of the day.