Ministers urged to drop ‘vanity’ indyref2 spending in budget statement

Ministers should drop “vanity” independence spending and instead prioritise the cost-of-living crisis in the upcoming budget statement, the Scottish Conservatives have said.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who has stepped in as Finance Secretary while Kate Forbes is on maternity leave, will set out the 2023/24 budget on Thursday.

The Tories have urged the Government to support households and key public services amid rising costs.

The party’s finance and economy spokeswoman, Liz Smith, said the £1.2 billion additional funding for Scotland outlined in the Chancellor’s autumn budget should ease the pressure on Scots.

It comes as the Fraser of Allander Institute said the funding received in Barnett consequentials will “more or less offset the impacts of inflation”.

Ms Smith said Mr Swinney must abandon the £20 million earmarked for a second independence referendum after the Supreme Court ruled Holyrood cannot legally call a referendum without Westminster’s consent.

The Scottish Government has said it will prioritise tackling child poverty, delivering net zero and transforming public services in Thursday’s statement.

In their demands, the Tories have called for a fair funding deal for local government to protect vital services.

Health and education funding from the Barnett consequentials must be passed on to the NHS and schools directly, Ms Smith said, while further support is urged for businesses, such as a rates relief package.

Ms Smith said the plans are “practical, costed and effective” to tackle the “pressing needs of Scottish households, businesses and public services”.

She added: “As usual, the SNP, focused on its independence obsession, has tried to blame Westminster for areas and budgets entirely within the Scottish Government’s control.

“Thanks to Scotland’s place within the UK, John Swinney will now have significant additional funding and the scope to deliver real help if he chooses to concentrate on Scotland’s real priorities for once.

“With Scotland’s NHS on its knees and education standards in freefall, it’s essential that the Barnett consequentials stemming from the Chancellor’s budget are passed on directly to our hospitals and schools.

“Meanwhile the SNP is sitting on money that could help hard-pressed families and businesses now. It should immediately divert its vanity spending on a referendum that the courts have ruled out and abandon reckless plans for a costly, centralised National Care Service that everyone else can see is a bad idea.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is responding to a cost-of-living crisis involving an increased demand on public services, supporting Ukrainian refugees and attempting to secure fair pay settlements for public sector workers.

“The UK Government has provided no additional funding for this year’s pay uplifts to respond to inflation.

“The Deputy First Minister will outline the 2023-24 Scottish Budget proposals, including on taxation, later this week.”