Fabiani on Budget Vote

Strathaven based MSP and Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, Linda Fabiani, has condemned opposition parties in the Scottish parliament for leaving local government budgets in limbo, following their rejection of the Scottish Governments budget proposals.

The vote saw Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party combine to oppose the Scottish Government’s budget for 2009/10; a decision that threatens planned investment in the Scottish economy including an additional £1.8 billion in expenditure.

Ms Fabiani said:
“This ludicrous decision has been taken by a Labour Party more intent on boosting its crumbling ego than in acting responsibly towards the people of this country.

“It beggars belief that in the current economic climate that sees the country in recession, jobs being lost, astronomical debt levels and peoples homes repossessed; that instead of voting for stability, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have voted to throw everything up in the air in the hope that the pieces fall to their own political advantage.

‘The UK Labour government have helped cause the current economic environment that sees hundreds of billions of pounds of taxpayers money being thrown after badly run businesses and poorly regulated industries, how then can they justify putting the Scottish economy and local authority spending plans on hold while they make up their minds as to whether they value the life of their party above the life of the country.

“Our budget plans would have brought jobs, homes and economic investment, it would have reduced or removed rates for thousands of small businesses, paid for extra police, pay rises in the public sector and additional funding for the NHS.

“All this is threatened by an ill conceived grandstanding by an opposition aiming to score a petty political point and forsaking the welfare of the country in the process.

“If the SNP Governments proposals are not passed, far from having another freeze on the council tax as we did last year we could instead be looking at huge increases by as much as 22 percent in East Kilbride alone. If such a scenario comes about it will be because Labour, Lib Dems and the Greens have failed to consider anyone other than themselves.”

The vote against the budget jeopardises the following projects:

· £230 million of capital expenditure brought forward by the UK Government’s pre-budget report
· support for 5000 jobs – particularly in the construction sector
· brought forward funding for road improvements across Scotland · £50 million of additional spending in the NHS · £70 million of early investment in affordable housing · Council tax freeze and increased funding for local authorities
· £40 million increase in funding for free personal care
· Investment in tackling hospital acquired infection
· Investment to reduce waiting times and to cut prescription charges further
· Abolition of business rates for 120,000 small businesses
· More bobbies on the beat

This is the first time in the history of the Scottish Parliament that a major party has voted against the national budget. The Scottish Government now has to proceed on a month by month basis based on last year’s budget figures.