Rutherglen’s MSP claims the Scottish Government’s Budget will “deliver progress for Scotland, by Scotland”.
Clare Haughey says the government had listened carefully to the people of Scotland, and are taking action on their concerns.
She highlighted actions including a record £2 billion increase in frontline NHS spending, which the Rutherglen constituency MSP says will increase capacity and access to GPs, substantially reduce delayed discharges from hospital, and reduce waiting times.
The Budget is also set to provide £768 million for affordable housing, a move welcomed by homelessness charity Shelter Scotland and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, amongst others.
The Scottish Government also plans to reintroduce universal winter heating payments for pensioners next year after they were axed by the UK Government, and scrap Labour’s two child benefit cap – a move that’s been welcomed by the Child Poverty Action Group.
Clare Haughey MSP, said: “I am delighted at the support John Swinney’s first Budget is offering for people in Rutherglen and Cambuslang.
“The First Minister has listened to what people have told him on the NHS – that’s why he is investing record amounts and throwing the whole weight of the government behind improving the health service, making it easier for people to see their GP and bringing down waiting times.
“While Labour cut winter fuel payments, the SNP is introducing universal support, and while they push families into poverty with the cruel two-child benefit cap, the SNP will scrap it and give thousands of children a better chance in life. All this is being achieved while delivering the fairest tax system in the UK.
“At this Budget, all income taxpayers will see a slight tax cut – which along with other policies, will help low and middle-income earners who are hard pressed.
“With this Budget, the SNP Government are listening to people’s concerns, and taking strong and decisive action to deliver on their priorities. I would urge my opposition colleagues in the Parliament to do the same, choose differently, and back this budget.”
Rutherglen’s Labour MP Michael Shanks labelled the Scottish Budget “more of the same” and says there’s “no vision” from the SNP.
He claims trust in the Scottish Government has collapsed and cited NHS waiting lists, school attainment figures, and record numbers living in temporary accommodation.
“The SNP has not listened to what voters told them in July when they lost 39 of their own MPs,” he said.
“The people of Scotland voted for change. Trust in our institutions is collapsing after years of SNP mismanagement of our public services, not to mention the scandal and infighting that has characterised the SNP; and there was a clear call from the general public that this needed to change.
“Labour has heeded that call. With an additional £5.2 billion as a result of funding from the UK Labour Government, this was the right time for the SNP to take a new direction in Scotland.
“But the former finance secretary of the past 11 years has missed the opportunity to set himself apart from the previous failures of this government.
“There’s no reform, no vision, no plan.
“It is not enough just to try and correct the mistakes made last year by putting back the money that was slashed in the budget itself or in the cuts chaos of the now annual SNP emergency budget.
“Transformative change was needed but the budget amounts to more of the same, sending Scotland ever faster in the wrong direction.
Labour regional list MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy, who holds surgeries in Rutherglen, said: “Public services are on their knees after 17 years of this government – and my constituents are paying the price of SNP incompetence.
“With a housing emergency declared, cuts to education provision imposed and patients unable to access timely healthcare, talk of record funding would ordinarily be welcomed. However, much of this appears to be SNP spin, with real-terms cuts to local government funding for health and social care, homelessness prevention, and school counselling hidden behind the headlines.
“My constituents and I will look for the actual outcomes this budget delivers and – with this government’s record on public services – we won’t be holding our breath.”
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