Our story today about a potential £2.1bn black hole in the SNP/Green Government’s Budget should worry every Scot.
The Government is struggling to fund rising costs and tough decisions will have to be made. One of the reasons for the struggle to balance the budget is the need to give staff a fair rise.
Workers are rightly demanding rises to cope with the cost of living crisis, but officials fear big increases are putting real pressure on Government finances.
Sluggish economic growth and disappointing income tax receipts are other wider factors behind budgetary pressures.
The best advert for independence is Nicola Sturgeon running a successful administration, so a £2.1bn black hole undermines the case she makes for far reaching constitutional change. However, the Tories cannot dodge the blame for the pressures faced by the public sector north of the border.
Successive Tory Governments have delivered stingy funding settlements for Scotland and the Tory mentality that public spending for the poor should be cut has been harmful.
Regardless of who is to blame, anti-poverty programmes must not be raided to plug any shortfall.
Civil servants suggested not going ahead with a £5 a week rise to the Scottish Child Payment – a truly terrible idea. It was good therefore to hear that the Government remains “committed” to this policy. Poverty levels in Scotland are a national disgrace and vital schemes like the SCP should be exempt from cuts.
Balancing the books on the backs of the poor is not, and will never be, acceptable.
Broken record PM
Last week, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said his boss was unaware of a number of lurid claims against MP Chris Pincher.
The MP, who resigned after claims emerged he had groped two men, was investigated – and cleared – over another accusation in 2017.
Yesterday, it was confirmed Boris Johnson was actually aware of “reports and speculation” about Pincher before
he appointed him to the role of deputy chief whip. It is all too believable that he dismissed concerns with the quip: “Pincher by name and nature.”
The alarm bells should have been ringing in Downing Street when Chris Pincher was mentioned for promotion. But Johnson ignored any concerns and blundered on, eventually having to use his spokesman to come clean after an initial denial.
Once again, Boris Johnson has been found to have a passing acquaintance with the truth. It’s getting like a broken record.
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