Government more interested in leading headlines than leading country – Labour

The Scottish Government has been accused of “creative accounting and spin” over its spending pledges on the environment.

Scottish Labour has hit out at the SNP-led administration in the week after its Budget, claiming spending on key environmental pledges has been cut while the Government touted its green credentials.

The energy efficiency and decarbonisation budget dropped from £358 million in last year’s budget to £349 million in the announcement from Finance Secretary Shona Robison last week.

The energy industry budget – which is aimed at decarbonising the country’s energy mix – dropped from around £46 million in last year’s budget to around £44 million this year.

However, in-year revisions mean the final budget was £42 million, showing a slight increase was announced this year.

The nature restoration fund, meanwhile, was cut from £29 million last year to £18 million.

The Scottish Government’s key spending pledge on the environment this year was £150 million for offshore wind, which Ms Robison said would be used to leverage £1.5 billion of private investment to build more wind farms.

The investment comes at the end of a year in which the Scottish Government was forced to scrap its statutory environmental targets, with new ones to be set next year.

Scottish Labour net zero spokeswoman Sarah Boyack said: “After being forced to tear up its legally binding climate targets, the SNP should have made green investment a priority in this Budget.

“But behind the SNP’s creative accounting and spin are brutal cuts to important environmental schemes.

“This year the SNP raided millions of pounds from vital environmental funds, and now they want plaudits for reversing their own cuts next year.

“Once again the SNP is more interested in leading headlines than leading our country.

“From axing green jobs funds to raiding the budget for insulating homes, the SNP is letting down Scots and failing to tackle the climate emergency.

“Labour is stepping up where the SNP is failing by setting up GB Energy and working to unlock Scotland’s potential as a clean energy superpower.

“Labour will create green jobs, drive down bills, deliver energy security, and tackle the climate emergency – but we need a change of direction in Scotland too.”

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “This is missing the bigger picture and the whole of government approach to tackling climate and nature emergencies.

“The 2025-26 budget will fund work to deliver on the potential of renewables, tackle climate change and protect and restore nature. It commits a record £4.9 billion in capital and resource spend for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change goals.

“We are committing a total £2.9 billion of capital funding, 40% of our total capital budget, towards programmes that will tackle the climate and nature emergencies and respond to climate change.

“The Scottish Government’s decision to compare this year’s budget plan against the latest 24-25 position, as set out in the Autumn Budget Revision, responds to a clear ask from the Finance and Public Administration Committee as well as other stakeholders.

“The Scottish Fiscal Commission have noted that this represents an improvement from previous practice, where the comparison was to the previous Budget as initially presented to parliament.”