South Scotland SNP MSP Joan McAlpine has hit back over Oliver Mundell’s comments on the Scottish budget.
Commenting, Ms McAlpine said:
“Oliver Mundell wants to tax more and spend more – and the sums simply don’t add up.
“His party wants to charge for tuition and medicine and give top rate tax payers a cut. Is this helping “the most vulnerable in our society”?
“The SNP Scottish Government has a positive economic plan for the future of Scotland, with Dumfries and Galloway set to benefit from our Scottish budget.
“Even under extreme budgetary pressure from Westminster, the Scottish Government’s budget will benefit our region with £5.1 million in funding for local services and above inflation investment in the NHS. This comes on top of an additional £2.9 million attainment cash going directly to primary and secondary schools in Dumfries and Galloway.
“And 71% of businesses in Dumfries and Galloway are set to benefit from either a reduction in their rates, or no change at all after the revaluation. So our region is very much “open for business”.
Ms McAlpine continued:
“For a hard-line Tory like Oliver Mundell to talk about a heart and soul in politics is patently absurd – and nothing more than shameless posturing. His party’s relentless austerity agenda has had utterly devastating consequences for people the length and breadth of this country, not least his own constituents in Dumfriesshire.
“People won’t be hoodwinked by Oliver’s literary quips. But he’s clearly well-versed in fiction – so we shouldn’t be surprised by this latest round of meaningless bluster from the Tories.”
