SNP: Risking double-dip
Stewart Hosie, SNP member of the Treasury Select Committee, comments on the spending review:
“George Osborne has pulled the rug from under recovery with these reckless cuts, and risks plunging the country back into recession.
“It is bitterly disappointing that the Chancellor has ignored the cross-party case made by the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to protect growth in the economy and so set the course for sustainable public finances. The Chancellor would have us believe that there is no alternative to his hard and fast cuts, and that is just not the case.
“The strong GDP figures published by the Scottish Government today show that Scotland is on the road to recovery, but underline what is at risk if Scotland’s recovery choked off by irresponsible cuts from Westminster.
“Underneath all the Downing Street spin, these are Tory and LibDem cuts that will hit the poorest hardest. Within hours of the emergency Budget in June research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) revealed that the Tory/Liberal coalition is pursuing a regressive, not progressive, agenda which will widen the gap between rich and poor.
“We have the same old Tories, now helped by the Liberal Democrats, cutting too far and too fast and leaving the poorest households to bear the brunt of tax rises, benefit cuts and the loss of public services and jobs.
“This program of cuts highlight the need for Scotland to secure economic and financial powers to grow the economy and boost revenues.
The challenge is to protect services, jobs and the economy in Scotland, and it is only the SNP which has an alternative to the dire and depressing agenda of Labour cuts or Tory/LibDem cuts. Instead of accelerating cuts for Scotland we need more powers – and quickly.”
