PRIORITIES ARE WRONG

THIS is a Tory Government with the wrong priorities. What we needed from the Chancellor was an urgent change of direction. What we got was the same old austerity.

The Tories have missed just about every target they have set while inflicting economic misery across the country. Yet still they continue to cut.

Scottish Labour demanded three things from this Budget: most important, an end to austerity and reversal of cuts to social security; help for the North Sea oil and gas industry; and VAT exemptions for Scotland’s police and fire services.

The Tories finally agreed to take further action – albeit limited – to assist the North Sea but otherwise they did nothing.

Austerity will continue: the Tories refuse to reverse welfare reforms that have reduced benefit payments in Scotland by £1billion since 2010, and are set to plunder £1billion more by 2020, with women and disabled people losing out more than most.

Meanwhile, the UK Government are spending £1billion on an inheritance tax cut that will benefit the wealthy – yet raising NI for the self-employed. Shameful.

Finally, the Chancellor failed to step in to protect Scotland’s police and fire services from the £35million VAT bill imposed on them by the SNP.

It’s time for the SNP to stop administrating Tory austerity and use Holyrood’s powers to end cuts and invest in public services. If they won’t, Labour will.