Budget must support workers and services by ripping up social care centralisation and P1 testing plans

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Government’s budget debate, Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie has today called on the Scottish Government to ditch divisive and expensive plans for centralising care services, national testing of P1 pupils and further papers on breaking up the UK, and use the money to invest in new pay deals for striking workers, investment in insulation and energy efficiency and tackling long Covid.

Mr Rennie said:

“With Scotland riven by strikes, this budget is an opportunity to change course, end the industrial action and get kids back in schools.

“A budget is about choices and priorities. People recognise that you cannot get something for nothing. That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats are setting out where we think money should come from too. Ditching divisive and expensive plans for centralising care services, national testing of P1 pupils and further papers on breaking up the UK would free up hundreds of millions of pounds to invest in frontline services.

“Coupled with higher expected tax revenues and the money that flows from the rest of the UK to Scotland, the Scottish Government could then launch a national emergency insulation programme, give a fair deal to local government and invest in areas such as education and long Covid which have been neglected”.