Scotland’s Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said the UK Budget “fails to deliver” for the country and offers nothing that will ease the pressure on households already dealing with rising costs.
The Chancellor delivered the statement after a day marked by leaks and confusion at Westminster which added to the growing scrutiny surrounding the direction of the UK economy.
Robison said the events around the Budget and the measures within it underline the gap between what Scotland needs and what the UK Government has chosen to prioritise.
She said the increase in funding announced for Scotland does not meet the additional costs created by the rise in employers national insurance contributions brought in earlier this year.
“This Budget has been absolute chaos from start to finish.
“Westminster has been consumed with leaks, briefings and out and out incompetence with Scotland left as an afterthought and families left to pay the price.
“We needed a step change from the UK Government with investment in public services, support for jobs and industry in Scotland and serious action on energy bills.
“Instead, we got a chaotic mess and the increase in funding for the Scottish Government will not even cover half the cost of the employer’s national insurance contributions brought in this year.
“With UK energy bills £340 higher than the Prime Minister promised even after today’s announcement, the UK Government are not even trying to deliver on their promises.
“It is insulting to see the UK Government stand up and trumpet a proposed reduction that does not even cover the increase since they came to office.
“It does not come close to meeting the Prime Minister’s pledge on energy bills they have not even attempted to keep their promises.
“The electric vehicle tax is the wrong decision for motorists, the climate and for Scotland given its disproportionate impact on rural drivers.
“And there is no serious support for jobs and industry in Scotland.
“The Energy Profits Levy is to remain in place risking thousands of jobs in Scotland and in the North East in particular.
“Yet again, Scotland is an afterthought.
“And while the moves on the two child cap are welcome, they are long overdue and the UK Government has been forced into this position by the Scottish Government and other campaigners.
“And without a simultaneous change to the benefit cap it falls well short of the bold anti poverty measures we have been calling for from the UK Government.
“But the complete chaos around this Budget gets to the heart of the fact that we should not be leaving crucial decisions around the economy, public finances and household bills in the hands of a deeply incompetent Westminster UK government.
“We should take these decisions for ourselves with the fresh start of independence.”
The Scottish Government will now analyse the full implications of the Budget as departments prepare for a winter shaped by rising costs, weaker growth forecasts and ongoing uncertainty in the UK economic outlook.
