Scottish Ministers backed a £50,000 cut to royal dignitaries on the day before the Queen passed away at Balmoral Castle. Deputy First Minister and acting Finance Secretary John Swinney unveiled plans to slash the budget of Lord Lieutenants - the monarch’s personal representatives.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “Every stone should be turned to plug the hole in the SNP government’s finances, but it cannot come at the expense of crucial state functions.”
Lord-Lieutenants are a key link between local communities and the monarchy by arranging visits for members of the Royal Family. They also make nominations for honours and awards and ensure the King’s Private Office is kept informed of issues relating to their area.
The unpaid public servants are said to have provided a hugely valuable role for the Queen over her decades of service. The Scottish Government funds their engagement activities by paying their travel and subsistence costs, but ministers recently eyed them for cuts.
In response to cost of living pressures, Swinney informed MSPs this month that he had found around £500m of savings. A letter to a Holyrood committee noted that Lord-Lieutenant “activities” were in the mix, and a government spokesperson confirmed the sum is £50,000.
After the Queen passed away First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to Her Majesty. In a statement on her death, Sturgeon praised the Queen’s “unflinching” dedication to duty and her “unwavering” commitment” to public service.
Swinney also wrote he was “terribly sad” to hear of the Queen’s death and reiterated the SNP’s position of retaining the monarchy in an independent Scotland. The government have now said, following the Queen’s death, funding was “prioritised” for delivering royal and ceremonial events.
Baillie hit out: “The last weeks have shown us all, regardless of political opinion, the value of the monarchy and their important role in Scotland. It’s time for John Swinney to wake up to the mess that his party has made of Scotland’s finances and act seriously to protect the people of Scotland.”
Tory MSP Sharon Dowey said: “The extraordinary response to Her Majesty’s passing over the last few days has revealed just how important the monarchy really is to the Scottish public. The royal family has a deep and loving relationship with Scotland, and many will be shocked to see that the SNP is contemplating budget cuts which may affect their work in the country.
“The SNP should urgently clarify whether they intend to go ahead with these cuts, after the recent outpouring of grief and affection for the late Queen Elizabeth has shown the continued strength of Scotland’s support for the monarchy.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “During the Emergency Budget Review work in August, a saving of £50,000 was identified in relation to planned expenditure on Scottish Lord Lieutenant activities. This was prior to the announcement of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, following which, resources have been prioritised towards delivery of associated royal and ceremonial events in Scotland.
“Changes to budgets will be formally set out to Parliament in detail as part of the normal Budget Revision process, which is expected in the coming months.”
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