Jack heckled for claiming ‘austerity is not a thing’

The Scottish Secretary was heckled in the Commons after claiming austerity is “not a thing” under the UK Government.

SNP MPS laughed and jeered as Alister Jack made the remark in response to criticism from Gavin Newlands during Scotland questions.

Mr Newlands, the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, told the session: “Capital funding to the Scottish Parliament hasn’t just been cut it has been slashed by 10 per cent on his watch.

“That’s money that could have been used to invest in hospitals, schools and infrastructure, about to be frittered away by the Chancellor on a sickening preelection bribe that will buy precisely no-one.

“Will he finally accept that it’s his Government’s ‘bust or bust’ austerity that is driving public services to the edge, and does he support tax cuts at a time when even Tory voters know that increased public investment is required?

Mr Jack replied: “This is nonsense, austerity is not a thing under this Government, not a thing at all.

“Departmental, absolutely not, departmental spending, this is the point the SNP don’t acknowledge, departmental spending throughout this Parliament has grown by 3.2 per cent on average, that’s the simple truth.”

Mr Jack also said a new Scottish independence report is “nonsense and a complete waste of taxpayers’ money”.

The Scottish Secretary said: “I note (the Scottish Government’s External Affairs Secretary) Angus Robertson has produced another independence document this week and it is on foreign affairs and defence, and a lot of nonsense in there too.

“They want to join the Nato nuclear alliance but they want to get rid of the nuclear deterrent. They want to join the EU but not the Euro.”