Now spend the £20m set aside for failed 2023 referendum
A £20MILLION referendum fund should be spent on crisishit public services, Nicola Sturgeon has been told.
Following the SNP’s Supreme Court defeat, the First Minister faces pressure to redirect taxpayers’ money earmarked for another vote on independence.
The Scottish Tories and Scottish Lib Dems said the cash – which could fund 1,000 nurses, more than 650 police constables or 600 teachers for a year – should be reallocated.
It comes after Miss Sturgeon’s Indyref 2 hopes were dealt a hammer blow when the Supreme Court ruled she does not have the power to go ahead with it next year without the UK Government’s consent.
She is also under pressure to stop using public money and civil servants’ time on a series of policy papers setting out the prospectus for independence.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: ‘It was utterly shameful that Nicola Sturgeon and her Government set aside this amount of money to pursue their No1 obsession of breaking up the United Kingdom.
‘Nicola Sturgeon responded to the Supreme Court verdict as SNP leader, rather than as First Minister.
‘Why should taxpayers be footing the bill for her party political campaigning when she couldn’t be bothered to answer questions in parliament?
‘With the unequivocal ruling, there will be no referendum next year. So there is absolutely no justification for them failing to reallocate every penny of their referendum fund.
‘This is millions of pounds worth of funding that could support families and businesses through the cost of living crisis or help our NHS through a winter storm.
‘It would be inexcusable if Nationalist ministers refused to divert money towards frontline services or those who need it most. We constantly hear ministers moaning about a lack of funds for Scotland’s public services but they have always protected their referendum slush fund.’
He said the money could be used to avert strikes which will cause disruption for millions and damage the economy.
Mr Ross added: ‘The SNPGreen government can either continue to take their eye off the ball and divide our country all over again or they can deal with the real priorities facing Scotland – and that starts by switching this £20million to other cash-strapped budgets.’
The Lib Dems called for the money to be used to tackle long Covid. Figures show just £3million has been committed to tackling the illness in Scotland, compared to £90million in England and £5million in Wales.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘This SNP/ Green government are spending just £16 a head to help people who may find themselves out of work, utterly immobilised and gasping for air. That’s the price of a takeaway.
‘No wonder people with long Covid feel abandoned.
‘The Scottish Government have suddenly found themselves with £20million spare after their embarrassing Supreme Court defeat. That money should be used to deliver the comprehensive treatment and support people with long Covid so desperately need.
‘The Scottish Government must deliver a firm commitment to country-wide access to long Covid clinics, in-home support for those that need it and physio and rehab. At the moment Scots struggling with this condition would be better off moving to England.’
Asked about the fund, a spokesman for Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The First Minister said yesterday that obviously that was in the budget not for this financial year but for next financial year and the budget process for the next financial year is under way.
‘John Swinney will take forward the budget process for next year across all portfolios and update parliament in the middle of next month on our budget proposals for next year and I can’t say any more.’
‘Referendum slush fund’