SNP opposes Ukraine aid
NICOLA STURGEON’S ministers have said they should not be forced to hand over any more money to Ukraine for weapons, in a row with Westminster.
The Scottish Government contributed £65million towards a £1billion Uk-wide fund that will be used to provide state-of-the art equipment after pressure from the Treasury.
It came as Boris Johnson committed to raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP within the next decade and as Joe Biden, the US president, said he would be sending another $800million (£650million) of lethal aid to Ukraine.
Kate Forbes, the SNP Finance Secretary, said she had agreed to provide the money “on this occasion”, but hit out at Westminster, making clear “this must not be seen as any kind of precedent”.
The request was highly unusual as foreign aid and defence are policy areas that are reserved to Westminster and funded by the UK Government.
However, SNP ministers have previously boasted about spending money in other reserved areas such as international development by sending aid to countries including Ukraine.
They have provided £4million for humanitarian assistance in health, water and sanitation, and shelter for those fleeing the war-torn country.
Ms Forbes’ comments were echoed by Rebecca Evans, her Welsh counterpart, who complained she had been forced to donate £30million of money earmarked for “devolved areas, like health and education”.
But the Treasury “strongly disagreed”, saying government departments across Whitehall had also been asked to make a contribution through their underspends and insisting the
devolved administrations had been consulted.
A spokesman denied that a precedent had been set for raiding devolved budgets for Westminster spending areas, saying it was a “one-off, extraordinary, response” to an “extraordinary crisis”.
Simon Clarke, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the devolved administrations could either hand over the cash from their budgets or accept a reduction in the block grants from Westminster. Their contributions were calculated using the Barnett formula.
If the devolved administrations had refused to comply, the Treasury said their block grants would have been cut later this year.
The Scottish Government said its £65 million would be used to help fund “sophisticated air defence systems and thousands of pieces of vital kit for Ukrainian soldiers”.
Ms Forbes said: “This funding is to assist Ukrainian armed forces to fight Russian aggression and the unspeakable brutality being perpetrated.”
In Wales, Ms Evans said: “What is not right is using money that should be for investment in devolved areas, like health and education, to fund a nondevolved spending area – military aid and defence.”
Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Education Minister, told BBC Radio Wales that ministers “were told by the UK Treasury the budget would be cut” and “there wasn’t any consultation”.
But a UK Government spokesman said: “Following discussions last week with the Chief Secretary, the finance ministers in the Welsh and Scottish governments agreed to make a contribution as part of the funding being provided to support Ukraine.”
He said the Northern Ireland Executive would also make a contribution.