On Wednesday 14 November the SNP Government laid out its draft spending plans for the next three years, and in doing so has revealed a number of astonishing cuts to key public services.

On top of breaking the SNP’s top manifesto promises on dumping student debt, 1000 extra police officers, more nursery teachers and maximum class sizes of 18, the Budget also makes significant cuts to government spending on schools, public transport, free personal care and housing.

The SNP Government has been spinning the line that the broken manifesto promises don’t matter as long as it manages to freeze council tax. However, Scotland’s local authorities have made no deal with the government to freeze council tax, and will not have the resources to deliver the SNP’s manifesto pledges on school buildings, class sizes, affordable housing, carers and respite care, free school meals, recycling, nursery provision or business rates cuts.

The government cannot hide behind the lie that it has received inadequate funding from Westminster, nor the excuse that it has insufficient cross-party support at Holyrood. The SNP has known all along how much money it would have at its disposal, and it cynically chose to make spending commitments it would never be able to afford.

The SNP has dropped the promises that got it elected, cut spending on key public services, and is now passing the blame to Scotland’s local authorities. The government simply cannot get away with this deception.

The SNP Budget:

• Drops plans to pay off student debt.

• Cuts funding for affordable housing by 6 per cent.
• Provides no additional money for reducing class sizes.
• Cuts funding for bus services by 8.2 per cent.
• Cuts the budget for drug rehabilitation services.
• Cuts spending on the Central Heating and Warm Deal programmes by 8.1 per cent.
• Cuts the budget for education and lifelong learning.
• Reneges on the 18 weeks waiting times pledge.
• Provides the smallest number of new police officers since devolution
• Cuts funding for concessionary fares for the elderly, disabled and young people by 8.5 per cent.

Following the Budget statement in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Nicol Stephen said:

"John Swinney should have used his statement to admit what we all know; that the SNP sums simply don’t add up. It would have been difficult. But it would at least have been honest.

"Instead, this is a Budget of sham promises and shifty auditing. A Budget of deception, spin and half-truths. And on the public services that the people of Scotland care about most, this Budget deceives the most.

"On class sizes, on police officers, on nursery schools, the SNP have failed to fund their commitments. On the environment, on housing, on free personal care, the SNP promises are unravelling. And student debt remains the ultimate SNP sum that didn’t add up.

"And we know that they know. What is shocking is that they now don’t care.

"They have spent the last three weeks telling journalists that they will be forgiven for all their broken promises if they can freeze the council tax. Today, they haven’t even delivered that.

"How many councils, across the whole of Scotland, have given John Swinney a commitment to freeze council tax? How many councils across the whole of Scotland have given a commitment to deliver class sizes of 18? How many councils have promised to deliver 1000 new police?

"Look at the fiasco of that police announcement on Monday. They started the day with the promise of 1000. By lunchtime it was down to 500. By the end of Newsnight Scotland it was possibly zero – but it was hard to say precisely because, said the bold MacAskill, sometimes officers are away on training courses and can be hard to count.

"Crystal clear in opposition. Now it unravels.

"For John Swinney, the question is 'deal or no deal?' Is there a deal with councils so that there is not a single child in a class of more than 18? Or is that dropped? Is there a deal to deliver 1000 extra police? Or is that dropped? And will John Swinney take responsibility if council tax rises by a single penny, anywhere in Scotland in the next three years? Deal or no deal?"

Education

Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Jeremy Purvis MSP has slammed the SNP Government's Budget as "deception, spin and half truths".

Mr Purvis condemned the Scottish Government for breaking its promises to cut class sizes, recruit more nursery places and tackle student debt and for cutting education spending.

Commenting after the Budget Statement, Mr Purvis said:

“This is a budget of deception, spin and half truths.

"There is no budget for smaller class sizes - only a pledge to "work towards" it. Where are the 1240 nursery teachers needed to meet its pledge to the youngest children?

"Students across Scotland will be wondering what happened to the pledge to abolish their debt. Without even bringing a proposal to Parliament, the Government has dropped over £70 million of proposed spending on students.

"They are not even putting that money to university funding. The universities needed £168 million of funds. They are getting £30 million. “

“It is outrageous that, as a proportion of the Scottish Budget, Education and Skills funding will fall. The three Education Ministers have neither stood up for their department, nor for Education and Skills in Scotland. When John Swinney said today that this was a new era in Scotland, everyone involved in Education and Young People should know that under the SNP this means it has an ever decreasing priority.

“Parents and students will judge them harshly for this failure to deliver.”

Justice

Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary Margaret Smith MSP has denounced this afternoon’s Scottish Budget for exposing the SNP Government's failure to fund the 1,000 extra police officers they promised in their manifesto for this May's elections.

Commenting, Mrs Smith said:

“The SNP have produced a budget full of sham promises and shifty auditing. They promised voters 1,000 extra police officers. They were very clear during the election campaign, but their clarity on this issue has faded as they dodged and weaved in a desperate attempt to wriggle out of this commitment.

“Voters across Scotland have every right to feel let down and deceived by this Government.”