The SNP has accused Andy Burnham’s UK Government of repeatedly putting England first following another funding announcement targeted specifically at the North of England.
The criticism came on Monday after the Chancellor announced that the British Business Bank would pledge up to £150 million to a new fund supporting university spinouts in the North of England.
SNP Economy spokesperson Kirsty Blackman MP claims the announcement is part of a wider pattern which has emerged since the summer, with a succession of UK Government initiatives focused solely on England.
The party has also criticised Burnham’s cost of living listening tour, claiming it failed to speak to a single Scottish voter.
The SNP says the removal of VAT from energy bills from October is Burnham’s principal cost of living measure affecting households in Scotland, which it claims will save the average household around £3 a month.
It further claims energy bills will remain £563 higher than the Labour Party promised during the election.
Blackman has now used the latest funding announcement to question where Scotland fits within the UK Government’s priorities.
Kirsty Blackman MP commented:
“People in Scotland can see an obvious pattern here, small announcement after small announcement from the Burnham Government but they are all for England.
“Day by day the philosophy and priorities of this UK government become clearer, Burnham’s political project is about England and no-where else gets a look in.
“That priority runs from top to bottom of the Burnham government.
“If Andy Burnham is the first Prime Minister of England, clearly John Healey is determined to be the first Chancellor of England too.
“Today’s announcement by John Healey underpins that reality.
“The only mention the Chancellor gave to Scotland was to brag about GB Energy, clearly oblivious to the recent revelation that a third of its workers live outside of Scotland, the very definition of another broken promise from the Labour Party.
“In Scotland, Burnham’s obvious priority towards England might have more merit if he stopped blocking the Scottish people’s democratic right to choose their own future.
“That would at least give space for an honest discussion and a choice about the future.
“Scotland is clearly ‘off-limits’ when it comes to Burnham’s personal political priorities, so what right has he to declare that the fresh start of independence is ‘off limits’ for the Scottish people?”
