SNP ARE ODDS ON TO WIN THE BUDGET DEBATE AT HOLYROOD TOMORROW

Hamilton Alex Cole-Hamilton outside the surgery 5

First Minister John Swinney, Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Conservative leader Russell Findlay and Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton will cross swords in the Scottish Budget debate.

by Bill Heaney

Given that First Minister John Swinney has been presented Labour with an open goal and that the SNP budget is set to fly into the Holyrood net tomorrow [Tuesday] thanks to the fact that Scottish Labour keep placing one “sitter” after another in front of them, we can expect more of the same as we have had for the past 20 years from our Nationalist government.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has proved himself to be useless when it comes to winning political battles and will have to take his place with Celtic disaster Wilfried Nancy in an increasingly long line-up of Yesterday’s Men after the Scottish Budget vote tomorrow evening.

Not even Wilfried Nancy gave the game away to the extent Sarwar has by revealing that his 21 MSPs won’t block the final round of tax and spending plans for this Parliament.

The Labour leader had hoped to replace John Swinney in Bute House after the Holyrood election in May so that he could at last axe the SNP‘s budget altogether, to be replaced with an emergency one of his own.

But in the short-term, a budget dfeat means that all hopes of forcing the Nationalists to come to a deal have gone over the bar and into the madding crowd on the political terracing.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay set out a list of demands last week, including income tax cuts, business rates relief and emergency funding for colleges such as West College Clydebaqnk.

Findlay said: “It is absolutely critical that John Swinney starts listening and gives people a much-needed break.”

The Tories are also backing calls for a pause in the rates revaluation due to kick in on April 1, along with business leaders. The date they have chosen reflects their position in the matter.

Standing tall, Mr Swinney knows the Scottish Government has effectively been given a ‘free pass’ by Labour, despite claims that Ministers are seeking “common ground”.

We know through personal experience that Finance Secretary Shona Robison can be economical with the truth just as she was when she promised to have a decision by the Health and Social Care committee, tied to West Dunbartonshire Council, to fire a local GP during the covid pandemic.

Mr Swinney said: “Obviously the stance that has been taken by the Labour Party [not to put up a fight on tax and spending] is a welcome stance.

“It means that it appears likely the government’s budget will prevail, but that doesn’t stop us trying to reach common ground with other parties so the budget can be broadly supported and representative of the needs of our country.”

The toothless SNP Finance Secretary Shona Robison is expected to announce some minor income tax changes at Holyrood on Tuesday, plus moves on childcare and business rates in what will be her last major spending announcement before the May election.

She is also joining the SNP front-bench exodus and retiring from politics with a golden goodbye and two fingers raised to the public gallery..

The First Minister said: “We’ve talked extensively to all parties at the Scottish Parliament to make sure that we understand their perspective and the government will bring forward a range of measures which are about eradicating child poverty, investing in our economy and investing in public services.”

The Lib Dems – who backed last year’s budget, saving the SNP Government from collapse and an early election – are asking for investment in colleges, councils and the NHS.

But the public are asking why yet more £millions should be squandered at local authority level where luidicrous decisions like the one taken to stop cutting the grass in West Dunbartonshire were made when the SNP was in power in Church Street.

Party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “We have been absolutely clear with the SNP about what we want to see in this year’s budget if they’re after cross-party support for it.”

And the Scottish Greens – who have propped up two SNP minority administrations with budget votes – are calling for jobs fund to support hundreds of workers who are about to be laid off from Exxon plant at Mossmorran in Fife.

That’s the same billionaire Exxon company who successfully “borrowed” £6 million from cash-strapped West Dunbartonshire Council and are looking for even more for clearing the heavily polluted old Esso tank farm fields at Milton by Bowling.

Speaking to journalists earlier today, Mr Sarwar insisted he was focused on replacing the SNP altogether.

Highlighting the widespread problems in schools, the NHS, councils and the justice system, he said: “John Swinney is taking the public for fools by pretending this SNP government’s 19th budget will deliver anything other than more of the same.”

He added: “In four months we have a chance to put an end to SNP mismanagement and waste and build a brighter future for Scotland by electing a Scottish Labour government.”

However, the SNP will be very much in the frame after tomorrow’s Budget and the May election too and Labour will be licking its wounds and possibly looking for a new leader to replace Mr Sarwar and even the lame duck Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street.

Does that mean that Dame Jackie Baillie, our own MSP in Dumbarton constituency, which includes Vale of Leven, Dumbarton, Helensburgh and Lomond, who has been in post since 1989 and is the longest serving member at Holyrood, will be forced to step up?

The UK Reform Party, bolstered by another former Conservative Minister joining them just last night, fancy their chances to take Dumbarton constituency, as do the Green Party because of the stance they have taken over planning permission for Flamingoland.

A week really is a long time in politics.