The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Jobs fears rejected as Holyrood budget passed
Trade unions and campaigners claim cuts will hit hard
John Swinney has forced through his Scottish budget in the face of noisy anti-cuts protests outside Holyrood.
The Deputy First Minister announced an additional £80 million for the Scottish Government’s Attainment Scotland Fund over the next three years and took a swipe at Labour’s “utterly exaggerated” claims thousands of public sector jobs would be lost because of his policies.
Labour’s deputy leader, Alex Rowley, asked Mr Swinney if he would consider setting up an emergency taskforce to help those left out of work. He replied: “The claims that are being made about public sector employment are utterly exaggerated.”
Hundreds of trade unionists protested outside Holyrood, arguing the local government settlement represented a £350m funding cut that will hit schools and other local services.
Ian Waddell, chairman of Fife’s Trade Union Council, said: “John Swinney is helping cut council jobs.”
But, in the face of accusations of slashing education funding, extra money was found to tackle the attainment gap between rich and poor school pupils.
Mr Swinney said the cash would “help ensure that every child has the opportunity to realise their potential”.
Labour leader Kezia Dugdale branded the spending plans an “austerity budget” as she renewed calls for the Scottish Government to back her party’s proposal for a 1p tax rise.
Mr Swinney said he was protecting pensioners and teachers from a tax “burden” by keeping the Scottish rate of income tax level with the rest of the UK.
Additional measures in the budget include a 3% charge for buyers purchasing a second home or a buy-to-let worth more than £40,000, and almost double free nursery provision to 1,140 hours.
It also confirms plans to increase spending on affordable housing by £90m, invest £130m in digital infrastructure and review the business rates system.
Conservative Murdo Fraser said he welcomed the SNP joining his party in “a new taxpayers’ alliance, working handin-glove to protect hard-pressed working families against the tax grabbers in the Labour and Liberal Democrats”.
Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie welcomed the boost to the attainment fund but called it “window dressing in a budget that is slashing public services to the core”.