Boris Johnson has been accused of using “smoke and mirrors” to hide the true level of funding for the Scottish government’s efforts to tackle the covid pandemic.
Ian Blackford challenged the Prime Minister to come clean on the finance after the Treasury countered Nicola Sturgeon’s complaints about lack of funding with an apparent promise that more money was on the way.
At Prime Minister’s Questions the SNP Westminster leader challenged Rishi Sunak’s announcement that devolved governments would be getting more funding to help them tackle coronavirus.
Blackford said: “Yesterday the UK Government put out a press release saying new financial support was coming. But last night the Treasury u-turned – saying no new money was available."
“So Prime Minister, which is it? Is there any new money to support businesses or was it all just smoke and mirrors?”
Boris Johnson maintained there is new money through Barnett consequentials and the Scottish government had tax powers to raise more money if it wanted to.
Johnson replied: “There are the powers, the Scottish administration has the powers, but what we’ve also done is a record settlement for Scotland of £41 billion pounds.
"But in all friendship with (him) who I’m actually quite cordial with behind the scenes, we will work with the Scottish Government to make sure that we get through this thing together.”
Blackford later demanded the UK government step up with more direct funding.
Speaking after the Commons clash, he said: “Instead of delivering new funding to tackle the pandemic, the Prime Minister instead shamefully demanded that the Scottish Government increase income tax to pay for the pandemic - on the very same day that the cost of living crisis gripping households surged, with inflation rising to 5.1 per cent.”
“The UK government must get a grip and step up to the challenge facing us by meaningfully engaging with the devolved governments and setting out new financial support, so that we can effectively tackle the health crisis and protect businesses and workers.”
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