Brownlee: Next month’s budget must have full spending review to 2014/15

At FMQs today, the First Minister appeared to confirm that November's budget will not include a full spending review for the period to 2014/15, as the UK Comprehensive Spending Review did.

Derek Brownlee MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth, said:

"The First Minister has no excuse. For months he has claimed he cannot produce a budget without knowing the final totals within which he would have to operate. That was a reasonable position to take, but now he has the totals for each year until 2014/15, he has no reason not to produce a Scottish spending review to provide clarity to the public sector on funding for the medium term.

"Simply because Alex Salmond doesn't like having to make savings doesn't absolve him of responsibility for doing so. If he won't produce figures beyond 2011/12, there are only two explanations - either that he doesn't expect to be in office in the next Parliament, or that he is terrified of the electoral consequences of being honest with the public about what he intends to do if he is."

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