UK Spending Review locks in years of austerity
The UK Labour Government’s Spending Review will lock in many years of austerity and drive people further into poverty and hardship, warn the Scottish Greens.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves' announcement saw £52 billion of spending in total promised for Scotland, but noted losses to the budgets for crucial devolved areas such as transport, environment and rural affairs, while increasing spending in reserved areas such as defence and nuclear energy.
Labour also made no indication of scrapping the harmful policies that exacerbate widespread poverty across Scotland and the wider UK.
Responding to the publication of the UK Government’s Spending Review, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP said:
“The UK Spending Review should be a chance for the UK Government to ditch some of the most damaging policies that have driven people across the UK into poverty and hardship.
“Despite the shiny capital announcements made so far, Labour’s ideologically driven, self-imposed borrowing rules will still lock in austerity for many years to come.
“The UK Government could choose to tax the wealthiest in society - millionaires and billionaires - and raise more than £24 billion a year.
“Just like their Tory predecessors - Labour remain all too happy to balance the books through slashing support for some of our most marginalised communities - all while allowing the rich to get even richer. Scotland has had enough of mitigating bad decisions made by Westminster.
“The Scottish Greens are not scared of taking on vested interests and ensuring that the wealthiest in society and the big polluters pay their fair share.
“We’ll soon see what hand the Spending Review deals for Scotland’s budget.“The Scottish Government must now show the boldness that’s been missing from both governments so far, especially on the action needed now to tackle the climate emergency, instead of relying on techno-fixes that are still on the drawing board."