Here’s the proof that John Swinney lied to Scotland’s pensioners over £4bn triple-lock claim – Murdo Fraser
John Swinney knows that extra spending on a National Social Care system south of the Border would result in more money for the Scottish government
Andy Burnham’s announcement at the Labour party conference last week that he planned to scrap the triple lock for pensions understandably generated a considerable level of political comment.
The SNP saw a clear political opportunity to attack the new Prime Minister, claiming that Scottish pensioners would be short-changed in order to fund social care in England. The First Minister, John Swinney, stated that Scotland’s pensioners would lose out to the tune of £4 billion, and that money would instead be used to pay for social care in England.
To say that this claim was disingenuous would be a generous interpretation. As the First Minister is well aware, increased English social care spending would bring additional funding to Scotland under the Barnett formula. It would then be up to the Scottish government to decide how to spend it.
That money could be used to support social care here, to top up pensioner benefits, or indeed for any other purpose that the SNP saw fit, should they be in power at that time.
Inaccurate and irresponsible
But at First Minister’s Questions last week, John Swinney went even further, claiming that Andy Burnham’s announcement meant that “we are now going to lose our pensions”. As my party leader, Russell Findlay, has said, this is an inaccurate and irresponsible comment which is inevitably causing concern to Scottish pensioners.
John Swinney knows perfectly well that this statement was untrue, and is no more than disgraceful scaremongering. He is under an obligation, which is explicitly stated in the Ministerial Code, to give accurate and truthful information to parliament, and correct any inadvertent errors at the earliest opportunity. That same code states that a minister who knowingly misleads parliament will be expected to offer their resignation.
He must now correct the record as a matter of urgency and issue an apology to Scottish pensioners for his irresponsible comments. There is plenty to criticise in the platform of Andy Burnham without having to resort to the deceit and lies which are becoming a hallmark of John Swinney’s SNP.
Murdo Fraser is a Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife
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