Scotland is treated with contempt by Tory Ministers.
The UK government’s decision to abandon the Autumn budget, which allows Scotland to its own spending and tax plans, has been criticised by the SNP.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes told the BBC that the Chancellor “didn’t even have the courtesy” to tell her the budget was being called off, which threatens the Scottish Government’s ability to plan for its own budget.
It marks the second year in a row the Treasury has opted to cancel the Autumn budget
Tom Arthur MSP, who sits on Holyrood’s Finance Committee, said:
“The move to scrap the UK budget without even having the courtesy to consult with the Scottish Government or the other devolved administrations shows how Scotland is treated with utter contempt by Tory ministers.
“The vast majority of Scotland’s tax and spending decisions are still taken at Westminster.
“A UK budget is therefore essential to ensure transparency and certainty for the Scottish Parliament’s budget setting process – and for the vital public services that depend on it.
“The UK Government’s approach demonstrates yet again that Scotland remains, at best, an afterthought for UK ministers.
“It also underlines the urgent case for Holyrood having complete control of all economic decisions.
“In the middle of a pandemic and with the threat of a No-deal Brexit looming, Scotland simply cannot afford any longer to be subject to the whims of an irresponsible, incompetent Tory government.
“Polls show that people across Scotland increasingly believe the country will be better off economically with the full financial powers that come with independence – the Tories’ reckless move to scrap the budget will only convince even more people of that.”
