Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott focused on the economy at yesterday’s First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament.

Tavish Scott’s cross examination came on the same day that Lloyds TSB assessed the Scottish economy as “grinding to a halt”.

During his exchange with the First Minister, Tavish Scott said:

“The First Minister needs to choose. There’s an offer on the table. Do his new quangos and their budgets really come first?

“Families and individuals face big challenges now and through this winter. Yet the First Minister has a Budget that’s 99 per cent old news. If this was anybody else’s Government he would accuse it of “idly standing by”.

“People don’t understand why Government won’t tighten their spending belt, when families have to every day.

“We have the powers in this Parliament to cut taxes and deliver hundreds of pounds back into people’s pockets.

“This is the time to meet the real challenge people face. I am up for it. Is he?”