Moray politicians react to the Scottish Budget
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Yesterday's Scottish Budget was described by Deputy First Minister Shona Robison as the "toughest" since the creation of the Scottish Parliament.
It brought with it a new tax band for those earning between £75,000 and £125,140 and a host of other measures aimed at protecting public services.
Now, Moray politicians have had their say on yesterday's announcement with Moray MSP Richard Lochhead stating that the budget is being delivered in the "toughest of circumstances".
Mr Lochhead said: "Scottish ministers have been forced to take some incredibly difficult decisions.
“The Deputy First Minister has set out the draft budget which delivers a real terms increase in funding for our NHS, despite only receiving an additional £10m in funding from the UK Government for health spending which equates to just 5 hours of capacity within NHS Scotland.
“In order to try to protect household finances in face of the cost of living crisis, the Scottish Government has committed £144m of additional funds for local authorities to deliver a freeze in council tax for the coming financial year.
"I also welcome the continued freeze of the poundage for business rates, meaning the poundage for non-domestic rates in Scotland is the lowest in the UK for the sixth year running.
“In terms of investment in infrastructure projects, it is alarming that the Scottish Fiscal Commission has confirmed that the UK Government is cutting Scotland’s capital funding by 20 per cent over the next few years, which will seriously hamper the Scottish Government’s ambitions to invest in Scotland’s roads, schools and hospitals.
"In turbulent times, the Scottish Government has sought to prioritise our NHS and public services, and of course any opposition politician that wants money to be diverted elsewhere must explain what they would cut or how additional money can be raised."
Moray MP Douglas Ross has claimed the budget will be a "hammer blow" for families and businesses in Moray and across Scotland.
Mr Ross said that the new income tax band will only "drive people away" from making places like Moray their home and that the measure will harm the economic recovery of the region.
He added that Mr Lochhead, who is also the minister for small business, should "hang his head in shame" after the Scottish Government failed to match the UK Government's 75 per cent rates relief to leisure, hospitality and retail businesses.
Mr Ross said: "Shona Robison shamefully refused to match the support being delivered south of the border to hospitality, leisure and retail businesses in the form of 75 per cent rates relief.
"That is a hammer blow for businesses and the local SNP MSP Richard Lochhead should hang his head in shame.
“He has been missing in action and has clearly meekly accepted this failure to support businesses in the area he serves.
“Once again, the SNP-Green government have chosen the rural budget as a target for their savage cuts.
"The rural budget has been cut by almost £80 million in cash terms, which means organisations in Moray will yet again have to try and deliver more with less resources.
"That only highlights the utter contempt the SNP-Green government have for rural Scotland.
"This budget wholly fails to deliver for Moray’s communities, people and businesses."
Councillor Sandy Keith (Elgin North, Labour) said the budget is asking ordinary people to pay "a lot more for a lot less in return".
He added: "Funding for local government budgets won’t even come close to covering increases in costs. We have schools that are literally crumbling, and increasing levels of homelessness – so the SNP Government’s answer is to slash budgets for capital expenditure and house building.
“The SNP Government wants to pretend that the burden of their budget is borne by the wealthiest, but, in reality, it’s middle earners who’ll pay the most.
"An ordinary classroom teacher in Scotland now pays 54 per cent in tax and national insurance, while a banker or lawyer earning twice as much only pays 47 per cent. How on earth is that fair?
“The SNP has been mismanaging our public finances for years, but the combination of unfunded promises, expensive gimmicks, and a stagnant Scottish economy has finally caught up with them.
"The sooner we can be rid of them, the better.”
