RACHEL Reeves has been warned not to “pull a George Osborne” amid growing concerns the Chancellor is to announce significant cuts to make up for a £20 billion funding hole.
On Sunday, widespread reports suggested that Labour are planning significant cuts to infrastructure projects to make up for the shortfall.
During an appearance on the BBC, Environment Secretary Steve Reed (below) claimed Labour are “going into departments and finding additional pressures… that nobody knew about”.
Newspapers over the weekend reported the Chancellor is planning to cut investment in hospital building, railways and roads among other public services.
Throughout the election, the SNP repeatedly warned that the Labour Party’s decision to copy damaging Tory spending plans and fiscal rules would result in around £18bn of cuts or tax rises and pointed to figures from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) to back this up.
Commenting ahead of Reeves’s statement, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “The SNP repeatedly warned the Labour Party’s damaging decision to copy Tory fiscal rules and spending plans would mean around £18bn of cuts or tax rises – and despite denying this throughout the election, Rachel Reeves has finally been forced to admit it’s true.”
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Along with Reeves, Keir Starmer, Anas Sarwar and Ian Murray were all among those to deny the SNP’s claims, with Scottish Labour leader Sarwar accusing the party of spreading “misinformation and lies”.
IFS director Paul Johnson was also critical of Labour, saying: “Oh dear, oh dear. The old ‘we may open the books and discover the situation is even worse’.
“The books are wide open, fully transparent. That really won’t wash.”
Flynn (above) continued: "People in Scotland will be openly questioning why, after being promised there would be no cuts, no tax rises, and no austerity, this new Labour government is choosing to dramatically break its promise within weeks of being elected.
"The Labour Chancellor must not pull a George Osborne and starve our public services of much-needed cash.
"People in Scotland voted for change - but the Labour government is paving the way to cut and restrict funding to our NHS, public services and vital infrastructure.
"After fourteen years of Westminster austerity our public services cannot take any more. They need an urgent cash boost now – not squeezed budgets and excuses from the Chancellor. You can't cut your way to better services – and hospitals and schools won't build themselves.
"During the election, the SNP called for a £16bn boost to NHS funding, and £28bn of investment in capital projects, including green energy. That is the scale of investment that is required to grow the economy and ensure our NHS and public services are fit for the future.
"The SNP will work in cooperation with the Labour government to deliver the change voters in Scotland were promised – but if the Chancellor is planning to break that promise by restricting or cutting funding for public services we will hold the Labour government to account."
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