Sarwar: Labour will 'end austerity' in Budget amid fears SNP will squander extra cash

Anas Sarwar has insisted that if the Scottish Government does receive extra funding from Westminster through Barnett consequentials, it “ can’t be wasted on SNP incompetence”, adding that “it has to instead be spent on those vital public services that people rely on and on growing our economy”.

Mr Sarwar was speaking in Glasgow ahead of the Chancellor delivering her first Labour Budget on Wednesday.

Amid reports Labour is wrestling with a funding gap of up to £40 billion in next year’s Budget, which could total £100bn over the next five years, Mr Sarwar has stressed his party will end austerity.

Read more: Labour insists Holyrood set for public spending boost despite £40bn Budget gap

The backdrop to the Budget has been extremely bleak with Ms Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer setting out the gloomy economic context.

But speaking to journalists, Mr Sarwar was adamant his party’s spending plans will “turn that page on 14 years of Tory chaos, division and decline” and will deliver “those things that we promised in the election and be a real game changer for Scotland”.

Asked by The Scotsman if Labour can truly end austerity, given the stark economic backdrop, Mr Sarwar said: “The choice we face in this Budget is do we cut taxes like the Tories did, do we increase taxes on low and middle income households like the SNP did, do we continue the era of austerity - or instead do we ask those with the broadest shoulders to pay a bit more in order to end the era of austerity.

“Do we make the choice to suck money away from our frontline public services like the Tories have done, like the SNP have been doing - or do we put more money and new money to our public services. “

He added: “We are choosing to put new money and new investment into our public services.

“It will deliver on the promises we made in the election, it will deliver on the first steps promise in our manifesto, it will end the era of austerity, it will deliver investment in our public services and it will be a budget that prioritising economic growth. That’s good news for Scotland.”

Read more: What are Labour leader Keir Starmer’s six steps for change in Scotland?

Labour’s ‘first steps’ that Mr Sarwar was referring to included a vow to cut NHS waiting times. The manifesto committed to using funding raised by cracking down on tax avoidance that would boost health funding in Scotland by an extra £134m a year - which the party pledged would pay for an extra 160,000 evening and weekend appointments north of the Border.

Asked about any additional money being sent to Holyrood through Barnett consequentials, Mr Sarwar said: “I think people expect new money for our NHS to be spent on our NHS. People expect new money for our schools to be spent on our schools.

“What I fear will happen is the SNP’s own financial mismanagement, their own incompetence and their own waste means that new money that is meant for Scotland’s public services instead goes to fix their own mess, their own black hole because of their own incompetence. That will be the wrong thing to happen.

“Any new money that comes to Scotland can’t be wasted on SNP incompetence. It has to instead be spent on those vital public services that people rely on and in growing our economy.”