Scots warn May over DUP deal
THE Scottish Government are threatening to invoke a formal dispute process with their UK counterparts over the Tories’ £1billion deal with the Democratic Unionist Party.
The deal will see Northern Ireland benefit from additional cash while Theresa May will gain the support of DUP MPs in key votes at Westminster.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Any sense of fairness sacrificed on the altar of grubby DUP deal to let PM cling to power.”
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay told MSPs the Tories were “ripping off Scotland to the tune of £2.9billion”.
He said it is unacceptable the funding for Northern Ireland will not be subject to the Barnett Formula’s spending rules, which determine how resources are allocated to different parts of the UK.
Mackay is demanding urgent talks with Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to find a solution that is “fair and reasonable to all”.
In a letter to Truss, he said: “As this is an issue of such significance to the Scottish Government, if we cannot agree, we will look to pursue a more formal mechanism to resolve the situation by invoking the formal dispute resolution mechanism.
“The UK Government’s deal prioritises expenditure on Northern Ireland and leaves Scotland almost £3billion worse off.”