Labour leader Iain Gray said it was time for the First Minster to take responsibility for budget decisions in Scotland and ditch his dodgy accounting.

Iain Gray, MSP, said: 

"The First Minister’s budget for next year will rise by £600m.  He chose – for good reasons – to spend some of it this year. 

"We all know he is now trying to claim that’s a cut.  If it is a cut, it’s one he made in his own budget.

"It is time he took some responsibility for his own decisions and dropped the dodgy accounting for his own purposes.

"Our economy benefited from £37bn to save our banks.  Our budget has been protected from a 10 per cent drop in tax receipts.

"The budget is going up – but everybody knows we have to tighten our belts.  The First Minister must agree that the first things to go should be programmes that just aren’t working.

"The Scottish Futures Trust. That’s £23 million over two and a-half years and it hasn’t built a single school or hospital.

"That’s about as not working as you can get.

"The FM should cut it now to protect frontline services. He has to make clear what is his real priority - public services or his own pet projects. Running Scotland or running a campaign for separation.

"The National Conversation isn’t working.  Support for Independence is plummeting.  Let’s cut the conversation now.  I’d rather have one more teacher, one more nurse and one more apprentice than one more minute of the national conversation. 

"Teachers, nurses, apprentices.  These are my priorities.  Are they Alex Salmond’s?"

17/09/2009