Response on Scots spending figures

Dear Editor, I refer to my previous letter, but must take issue with SNP councillor Tom Johnston’s reply [Advertiser, October 17 and 31 respectively].

Referring to Scotland’s £13.44 billion overspend, the Fraser of Allander Institute has noted: “Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) does provide a pretty accurate picture of where Scotland is in 2018”.

Another economic research group, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which specialises in UK taxation and public policy, said in their report of August 22 that the GERS figures “are credible”.

Though an independent Scotland could make different choices on tax and spending (i.e. debt), Councillor Johnston should take cognisance of the findings of both institutes and accept that this is where we are.

Under the Barnett formula, the UK Government provides £6304 extra for a family of four as compared to England: Scotland contributes only eight per cent of UK tax, but receives more than nine per cent of UK spending.

Never mind Councillor Johnston’s misleading bluster and spurious claim that I indicated that Scotland depends on charity from London to survive. I made no such claim – such deliberate misquotes demean politicians!

Councillor Johnston refers to “the top economic performing countries in the world [being] overwhelmingly small states the size of Scotland”.

Has he forgotten Alex Salmond’s northern European “arc of prosperity” claim of 2006? That was prior to the financial crash which caused chaos in Ireland with lost jobs and homes.

Then there are Scandinavia and Iceland where salaries are high, but prices and tax are both eye-watering and would be unacceptable to voters in Scotland and other parts of the UK.

And now to an important fact which appears to have been overlooked. With regard to the 2017-18 GERS deficit of £13.44 billion, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “GERS is looking at a situation over a single year. That’s why it’s important to look at this, not just in terms of a single year, but in terms of the situation over a longer period”.

On March 13 2016, Ms Sturgeon appeared on Andrew Neil’s Sunday Politics show in which he raised the topic of “the massive and unsustainable £15 billion (Scottish) budget deficit” – her reply was: “You don’t look at the fiscal position of a country on the strength of one year’s figures”.

She conveniently forgot that Scotland had run a deficit in 21 of the previous 22 years, a fact she must have known.

Are not the 2016 and 2018 misleading quotes substantially the same? It was to say the least, disingenuous of the First Minister to make such a statement knowing that it was wrong.

Scotland and the UK deserve politicians of all parties who do not issue spurious statements and I leave Councillor Johnston “tae think again”. Ronnie Wright, Airdrie