John Swinney has blasted cuts to this year’s Scottish budget as “completely and utterly unacceptable”.
The deputy first minister attacked further efficiencies announced by the Chancellor despite Scotland’s spending plans having been already agreed by Holyrood.
George Osborne revealed at Westminster yesterday that Whitehall departments will be expected to find a further £3billion in savings. The Scottish Government said it will slash £170million from its budget.
The UK Government defended the cut, claiming it was preferable to the SNP’s financial plans for Scotland.
The move is expected to generate a tense atmosphere when Mr Swinney meets Mr Osborne on Monday.
The deputy first minister said the lack of prior discussion showed that Nicola Sturgeon’s warning after the SNP’s election landslide that business could not be conducted as usual had not been heeded.
“This cut of around £170million to the Scottish budget this year is completely and utterly unacceptable,” Mr Swinney said.
“The Scottish Parliament has already agreed our budget for this year and that should be respected, not slashed as part of George Osborne and David Cameron’s ideological obsession with austerity.
“The people of Scotland made perfectly clear in the recent UK election that they rejected the Tories’ plans for more and harsher cuts, yet the UK Government is planning to inflict £170million of even deeper austerity on Scotland this year.”
Mr Swinney said Scotland had seen its overall budget but by 9% and its capital budget cut by 25% since 2010 and further efficiencies threatened public services and economic growth.
“There has been no prior discussion with the Scottish Government about these plans – and all parties in the Scottish Parliament should now make clear that these cuts are unacceptable,” he said.
A UK Government spokesman said: “The UK Government decision to protect spending on the NHS and schools also protects the Scottish Government’s overall budget.
“Sharing resources and risks across the UK is a much better idea than full fiscal autonomy that would cost Scotland £10billion a year.”