JOHN Swinney accused the Tories of having “destroyed” Scotland’s future – as he hit back at attacks for abandoning plans to make free meals universal for all primary school children.
The First Minister gave a fiery response to Douglas Ross during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday as the Scottish Tory leader branded the ditched pledge “yet another empty SNP promise”.
Swinney said the Scottish Government had to curb spending because of “the austerity agenda” supported by Tory MSPs.
Ross said: “For 17 years, this government has overpromised and underdelivered for Scotland’s children. No one will believe yet another empty SNP promise to add to the pile.
“This week’s Programme for Government was supposed to be John Swinney’s big relaunch but instead, we got more of the same from an SNP government that is out of ideas and out of ambition.
“So are broken promises like the one John Swinney has just announced today the best he has to offer Scotland’s children?”
Swinney replied: “My commitment to eradicating child poverty is steadfast in this Programme for Government and the Government is putting the resources in to make sure that we can achieve that objective with over £400 million being spent on the Scottish Child Payment, which is keeping 100,000 children out of poverty.
“That is what is happening on this Government’s watch, we have a lower poverty rate in Scotland – far too high, for my liking, far too high – but it’s been made worse by the folly and the actions of the 14 years of the Conservatives.”
Ross (above) could be heard heckling from his seat, telling the First Minister to “enjoy [your] choices”.
Swinney said: “Yes, it is my choice Mr Ross, it’s my choice to make sure we invest in the future of Scotland, which the Conservatives destroyed by the austerity agenda that was supported by all of the Conservative members over there.
“What the people of Scotland will hear from this Government is a determination to ensure that we deliver on our commitments to lift children out of poverty when the Tories have made the situation worse.”
Swinney also came under fire from the Scottish Greens over the U-turn, which they branded a “betrayal”.
Greens co-leader Lorna Slater (below) said: “Can the FM explain how we're supposed to take seriously his commitment to tackle child poverty?”
Swinney said the Scottish Government was facing “acute financial challenges” because of historically high rates of inflation in recent years “because of the persistence of the austerity agenda”.
He said the cumulative effect of inflation had “eroded” the Scottish Government’s budget by around one-fifth over the last three years.
Swinney’s comments at FMQs came after his deputy Kate Forbes earlier in the day said the Scottish Government still hoped to roll out free meals to all primary school children “when the funding becomes available”.
Currently, all school children before primary six receive free meals and those in later years get them if their families get the Scottish Child Payment.
