By David Scott
4 February 2010
Finance Minister John Swinney has won parliamentary approval for Scotland’s £35bn spending plans after making eleventh-hour concessions to opposition parties.
With the backing of the Conservatives and the Greens, the minority Scottish National Party administration’s budget was approved by the Holyrood Parliament on February 3. Labour – the main opposition party – refused to support it and the Liberal Democrats abstained.
Swinney’s concessions to the Tories included the setting up of an independent budget review group. This would provide advice to government and to Parliament and encourage wider public debate about options and choices.
He also agreed to take forward a proposal that the government should publish all items of expenditure above £25,000 on a monthly basis.
The budget was approved by 66 votes to 45, with 14 abstentions.
The decision came as a relief to ministers, who were involved in intensive last-minute negotiations with opposition parties to avoid a repeat of last year’s crisis, which arose after the Parliament initially rejected the budget.
Swinney called on MSPs to support a budget that ‘meets the needs of the people of Scotland, addresses the economic and financial challenges we face and supports our frontline services.’
He announced measures to boost housing, education and business and improve home energy, including a boiler scrappage scheme.
Labour failed to persuade the SNP to reinstate a major rail link for Glasgow Airport, which was dropped from original plans.
The LibDems said they had a number of concerns including the need to cut pay at the top of the public sector.
4 February 2010
Finance Minister John Swinney has won parliamentary approval for Scotland’s £35bn spending plans after making eleventh-hour concessions to opposition parties.
With the backing of the Conservatives and the Greens, the minority Scottish National Party administration’s budget was approved by the Holyrood Parliament on February 3. Labour – the main opposition party – refused to support it and the Liberal Democrats abstained.
Swinney’s concessions to the Tories included the setting up of an independent budget review group. This would provide advice to government and to Parliament and encourage wider public debate about options and choices.
He also agreed to take forward a proposal that the government should publish all items of expenditure above £25,000 on a monthly basis.
The budget was approved by 66 votes to 45, with 14 abstentions.
The decision came as a relief to ministers, who were involved in intensive last-minute negotiations with opposition parties to avoid a repeat of last year’s crisis, which arose after the Parliament initially rejected the budget.
Swinney called on MSPs to support a budget that ‘meets the needs of the people of Scotland, addresses the economic and financial challenges we face and supports our frontline services.’
He announced measures to boost housing, education and business and improve home energy, including a boiler scrappage scheme.
Labour failed to persuade the SNP to reinstate a major rail link for Glasgow Airport, which was dropped from original plans.
The LibDems said they had a number of concerns including the need to cut pay at the top of the public sector.
