By David Scott in Edinburgh
The Scottish Government has been forced to draw up new spending plans after its £33bn budget was sensationally defeated on the casting vote of the Holyrood Parliament’s presiding officer.
The Scottish Government has been forced to draw up new spending plans after its £33bn budget was sensationally defeated on the casting vote of the Holyrood Parliament’s presiding officer.Finance Secretary John Swinney pledged to bring forward new proposals ‘within a matter of days’ in an attempt to resolve the crisis caused by the 2009/10 budget Bill failing to complete its parliamentary course following a debate on January 28.
After a tied vote of 64:64, the presiding officer, Alex Fergusson, announced that he would use his casting vote in favour of the status quo, defeating the budget.
The decision is the biggest setback suffered so far by Alex Salmond’s Scottish National Party administration, which holds 47 of the 129 places in the Parliament and requires the support of rival parties to get its policies through.
The budget crisis came after tense last-minute horse-trading between the parties which continued right up to decision time.
But Swinney’s success in winning over the Scottish Conservatives with a £60m town centre investment plan was not enough to sway the knife-edge vote in his favour.
He failed to bring on board the two Scottish Green MSPs, who wanted a £100m-a-year scheme for free home insulation but were offered a ‘compromise’ package of £22m as a first step.
Labour, which described the plans as ‘wholly inadequate’ in addressing the economic crisis, and the Liberal Democrats refused to support the budget.
Following the vote, Swinney said: ‘In the light of the serious position this leaves Scotland in, the Scottish Government will not delay in seeking to resolve the budget issues for next year.
‘I will reintroduce the 2009/10 budget Bill to Parliament… within a matter of days.’
