The Chancellor should prioritise investment with next month's
Autumn Budget rather than “repeating the mistakes of the past” by
cutting spending, Finance Secretary has said.
As part of a Parliamentary debate today [24 September], Ms
Robison will urge the UK Government to heed the advice of
economists including Professor Mariana Mazzucato and Professor
Anton Muscatelli, who have called for a strategy for
substantially increasing public investment. She will also pledge
to work with the UK Government to ensure the Budget best meets
the needs of the people of Scotland.
Speaking ahead of the debate, the Finance Secretary said:
“The Autumn Budget is a chance for the Chancellor to prioritise
investment over spending cuts. As a group of leading economists
argued last week, UK Government under-investment has resulted in
a ‘vicious circle of stagnation and decline', meaning a change in
direction is needed.
“Like them, I am calling on the UK Government not to repeat the
mistakes of the past, providing the funding we need for our core
missions of eradicating child poverty, building prosperity,
improving our public services and protecting the planet.
“I stand ready to work with the Chancellor to achieve this goal.”
Background
The Finance Secretary will open the Scottish Government Debate:
The UK Budget – Scotland's Priorities from 2:50pm on Tuesday 24
September.
