Scotland’s Finance Secretary has accused the UK Government of choosing austerity over fairness in a scathing response to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement.
Shona Robison warned that Westminster’s latest plans will cause lasting harm to public services and those already struggling.
She said the Chancellor had missed a clear opportunity to support vital services and instead made decisions that target the most vulnerable.
Robison highlighted that the UK Government’s own analysis showed a quarter of a million people would be pushed into relative poverty.
Fifty thousand of those expected to suffer are children.
She claimed the new measures were not just misguided but morally unjust, balancing the budget on the backs of disabled people.
According to Robison, these changes will ripple out across Scotland, slashing resources and making it even harder to support communities.
She criticised the Treasury for refusing to cover the additional cost of employers’ National Insurance contributions, adding more pressure to devolved finances.
The Finance Secretary said Scotland’s Budget was already under strain, and the UK Government’s approach would deepen the crisis.
The cuts, she said, will hit the services people rely on every day.
Health, education and local councils could all face further financial pressure as a result of the Chancellor’s decisions.
Robison described the situation as a return to the damaging politics of austerity.
She urged the UK Government to reconsider its stance before lasting damage is done.
Robison said the Scottish Government would continue to press for a fairer alternative.
The call for change comes as MSPs prepare to debate the Spring Statement in the Scottish Parliament.
Robison made clear that the decisions made in Westminster do not reflect Scotland’s priorities.
She said the Scottish Government remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable despite financial constraints.
But she warned that without a shift in UK policy, Scotland’s ability to shield communities from the worst effects will be severely limited.
The Finance Secretary ended her remarks with a plea for a more compassionate and responsible approach to economic planning.
