30 November 2020

Public-sector workers will not have ‘Tory pay freeze’ in Scotland, says Forbes

30 November 2020

Scotland’s Finance Secretary has told public-sector workers she will not impose a “Tory pay freeze” on them.

Kate Forbes made the pledge as she attacked the UK Government over austerity and for leaving her to prepare the Scottish budget “blindfolded”.

Ms Forbes is scheduled to announce her draft tax and spending plans for 2021-22 at the end of January – weeks ahead of the UK Government Budget, which is not expected to be delivered by Chancellor Rishi Sunak until March.

Austerity will never be our answer

In his Spending Review last week, Mr Sunak said he is unable to give pay rises to all those working in the public sector in England.

The huge amounts of spending needed to respond to the coronavirus crisis were also cited by the Chancellor as he cut UK spending on international aid.

Ms Forbes said “the Chancellor’s first actions to manage our public finances was to freeze pay and cut international aid”.

But she insisted “austerity will never be our answer” as she pledged there will be no public-sector pay freeze in Scotland

“A strong economy also relies on strong public services,” Ms Forbes told the SNP conference.

“That’s why austerity will never be our answer.

“That’s why there will be no Tory pay freeze in Scotland.”

She used her speech – delivered from Dingwall in the Highlands to the virtual conference – to announce extra funding to help more smaller businesses adapt to digital technology.

The Scottish Government will provide an additional £10 million this year for this, with Ms Forbes saying it should “help an estimated 2,000 small and medium enterprises reap the benefits of investment in digital”.

Highlands and Islands enterprise will be given £800,000 to extend its digital enablement grant scheme, as it is often “businesses in rural areas that have the most to gain by access to new technology”.

The Data Lab, a non-profit organisation working to try to make Scotland a world leader in data innovation, will receive £1 million to invest in advanced technologies such as data analytics and artificial intelligence.

The funding was announced ahead of next year’s Scottish budget, which Ms Forbes said will include a “five-year pipeline of investment in infrastructure to boost economic growth”.

She stressed this will not support “pet projects like a Boris bridge to Northern Ireland” but will instead focus on the “essential investment our economy and public services need”.

The Finance Secretary said: “The capital spending review will provide the funding for our infrastructure plan.

“It will include almost £5 billion for inclusive economic growth, including £500 million to extend full fibre broadband to businesses and households in rural areas and £30 million to support our islands.

“It will see more than £11 billion invested in our cities, towns, villages and rural areas, including £275 million to revitalise our town centres and create vibrant neighbourhoods and nearly £2 billion on health infrastructure and equipment.”

She promised an “investment that transforms our country” and “creates jobs and supports society”, as well as seeking to tackle poverty and address the challenges of climate change.

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