Peeblesshire feels the pinch
David O'Leary • Published 22 Oct 2010 09:30
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Neil Calvert
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That is the message from almost every local politician following this week’s spending announcement by Chancellor George Osborne.
Pensions, benefits and taxation will all be directly hit by Wednesday’s announcement.
And much worse is about to follow - as every household across Peeblesshire is likely to feel the effects of the massive cuts that come from Holyrood and Newtown St Boswells.
But a better-than-expected deal for Scotland is expected to save dozens of the many at-risk jobs within the local authority.
Tweeddale Councillor Neil Calvert, who is finance spokesman for Scottish Borders Council, said: “As yet we’ve no set figure on how many jobs will be lost as a result of the cuts.
“We had already reviewed a number of items with job implications. However these now need to be reviewed once more as there should be fewer job losses as a result of Scotland’s reduced budget being less than expected.”
Mr Osborne’s spending plans will be followed next month by the Scottish Government announcing its own savings, which will see capital projects across the country axed, thousands of jobs within the NHS and emergency services go, and also a huge reduction in the cash which filters down to each local authority.
Here is a flavour of what local politicians paid to fight your corner think about Mr Osborne’s decisions.
Tweeddale MP, David Mundell
(Conservative)
“We are spending £120 million every single day just to pay off the interest on Labour’s debt - money that goes to foreign creditors to help pay for their schools and hospitals rather than our own. The Coalition Government has set out a plan to get rid of that deficit so that we can safeguard the public services for the future.
“At the same time, we have given help to some of those who need it most, by raising the state pension and increasing child tax credit. The government’s priority is to help businesses create jobs. By focusing on government waste and excessive spending on welfare the cuts are less than what Labour was planning in March and the cut to the Scottish Government’s revenue below what it was expecting.
"The settlement for Scotland is a fair one, which I hope will be reflected in the allocation of funds to the Council and NHS locally. Rather than put its head in the sand as it has done to date, the SNP Government in Edinburgh now needs to get on with setting its budget so local people know where they stand.”
Borders MP and Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore
(Lib/Dem)
“I recognise that the Spending Review will introduce difficult measures for people in the Borders. While decisions over spending cuts have been incredibly difficult to make, they are right and necessary to protect the country from worse pain in the future.
“Saddling the next generation with our debt would be hugely unfair and it is our duty to begin to balance the books and bring financial stability to the UK.”
Tweeddale MSP, Jeremy Purvis
(Lib/Dem)
“It was clear from the figures published this week that Mr Swinney will have an additional £1 billion over the spending review period that he had not forecast.
“While this is a consolation, we have to await his decisions as to what he will cut. I am concerned that the recent announcement that the SNP want to take away local policing and create a single police quango in Scotland might be a sign of the things to come.
“When I negotiate the Scottish budget with him I will be arguing that a first priority will be to tackle the growth in the paybill of the already highest paid in the public sector, as this is fairer than the Scottish Government cutting nursing or teaching posts.
“We shouldn’t have to wait a full month before the SNP Government publishes its budget. It should publish it now.”
South of Scotland MSP and Shadow Secretary for Finance, Derek Brownlee
(Conservative)
“The Scottish Government had been planning for a 12.3 per cent real terms reduction in revenue spending. The Comprehensive Spending Review revealed a significantly smaller cut of 6.8 per cent over the period.
“Difficult decisions lie ahead, but the Scottish Government faces less of a challenge than anticipated. Indeed the challenge for the SNP, and Scottish Labour, is to stop carping from the sidelines and to start setting out what they will do.
“There is still a need for savings to be found and that is why the Scottish Conservatives have already identified over three quarters of a billion pounds which could be saved.
“We will continue to set out an agenda for reform which delivers better public services.
“Alone amongst the parties in Scotland, we have faced up to tough decisions, set out our ideas and shown leadership. It’s time Alex Salmond and Iain Gray stepped up to the mark.”
Borders MSP, John Lamont (Conservative)
“The difficult decisions made today are a direct result of the legacy of debt left by the previous Labour Government. The Comprehensive Spending Review starts the process of getting public spending back under control after years of irresponsibility by Labour.
“The Government has set out a plan to get rid of the deficit so that we can safeguard public services for the future.
“These cuts are less than Labour was planning in March, and less than the SNP Government in Edinburgh was anticipating.
“On the specifics, I am pleased at the rise in the state pension and the increase in tax credits for those who need it most.”
“However, I know that many local residents will be frustrated to see broadband improvements going to the Highlands and Cumbria but not the Borders.”
Tweeddale councillor and SBC finance spokesman, Neil Calvert (Conservative)
“My initial reaction is that Scotland has been spared the worst of the cuts and while a reduction of 10 per cent in our budget is manageable in the first year it will be felt in the medium to long term.
“This may very well result in councils having to share services such as IT and the like.
“Our position will be made clearer when John Swinney comes out with his own proposals. Only then can we fully formulate and firm up our own plans, I’d expect this announcement to be made to full council by either November or December.”
Scottish Borders Council Leader, David Parker (Independent)
“The Scottish equivalent of what happened this week will be announced by John Swinney on November 17 or 18. Until then we won’t get any detailed figures for the council.
“Overall the headline figures for Scotland yesterday were better than the treasury were predicting in June but it really now depends on how the Scottish Government decide to slice the cake.
“What we can say for sure is that even if the figures we receive are better than expected, our budget is still going to be cut and we will have less money to spend next year which is something that we have not experienced in my time on the council over the last 15 years.
“Although we have had some difficult times to deal with there has always been slightly more money in the settlement but next year there will be no new money and the biggest reduction we have faced, certainly since the 70s if not before. We are really talking about degrees of bad news.”
This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 22 Oct 10
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