Scotland’s finance secretary, Shona Robison, has warned that cuts to the Scottish government’s budget due to UK government cuts will have a “profound effect” on its ability to deliver services. Robison also claimed that the UK was entering a “new era of austerity” under the Labour government in Westminster. The announcement comes ahead of the Scottish government’s own confirmation which is expected later this week that massive cuts to public services will be put in place. Weekend newspaper reports have suggested that the scale of the cuts could be over £500m, with a halt to non-essential spending already in place.
Robison said that she had been left with no choice due to UK government cuts that have affected available funding while Labour claim that a “painful” budget in October is needed to combat a “black hole” in public finances left by the previous Conservative administration. A report last week from independent economic forecaster the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) said that “much of the pressure comes from the Scottish government’s own decisions”. The council tax freeze, more generous public sector pay deals and social security reforms meant that the Scottish government had narrowed its room for manoeuvre now and in the future.
Environmental groups and Scotland’s art sector have already expressed concern over the impact on their area. First Minister John Swinney is expected to address the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday to unveil his first Programme for Government. At his weekend speech to the SNP conference he said the government needed to work “smarter and harder”, but denied the party were introducing austerity in Scotland. Scottish Conservatives finance spokeswoman Liz Smith stated that the SNP has created a “high tax, low growth environment” that should be reversed and that any further tax rises would be “devastating”.
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