TALKING A GOOD GAME
Nats’ Budget vow.. before negotiations
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has vowed to protect “vital public services” in his Budget – despite not yet having the support to get his plans through Holyrood.
He also revealed he would prior it ise spending on health and education.
Mackay said he would have talks with other parties “in the weeks ahead and into the New Year” in a bid to convince them to back his tax and spending plans for 2019-20.
He spoke after the Scottish Greens revealed they have not yet entered formal negotiations with the SNP.
Green co-convener Patrick Harvie said he was “ready to talk” ahead of Wednesday’s Budget statement at Holyrood but stressed the Government needed to tackle the issue of local tax reform.
With the SNP no longer having a majority in Parliament, the finance secretary need s the support of at least one other party if his financial package is to be approved. But the Liberal Democrats have already ended Budget talks with ministers – citing the SNP’s insistence that their “plan for an independence referendum had to stay on the table” as the reason for this.
Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said this left the Government “at the mercy” of the Greens.
Harvie said: “We have been given a clear instruction from our party members we can only enter formal budget negotiations if there is meaningful progress on local tax reform to make a fairer system that protects services and cuts inequality.”
Mackay insisted the proposal she will outline will “protect vital public services and prioritise spending on health, education and economic investment”.
While he cited Brexit as continuing to be the “biggest threat to Scotland’s prosperity”, he insisted his proposals would “not be defined” by this.
Labour want the Budget to include a rail fares freeze and a £5 a week rise in child benefit, which they said would lift 30,000 kids out of poverty.
The Tories want the SNP to commit to no new tax rises in 2019-20, after Mackay made changes to income tax this year, leaving some higher earners paying more than their counterparts in England.
Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: “The SNP must give taxpayers a fair deal on taxation, invest in public services and no new tax rises.”
But SNP MSP Angela Constance said: “If the Tories want to promise high earners a handout, they have to explain what public service they would cut to fund it – otherwise nobody will take them seriously.”
We can only do budget talks if there’s progress on local tax reform