CLEGG'S N.IRELAND PLEDGE MUST EXTEND TO SCOTLAND AND WALES

For Immediate Release – Friday 8 October 2010

Attn:       NEWS DESKS

     POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS

EYES ON ALEXANDER TO ANNOUNCE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AT LIBDEM CONFERENCE TOMORROW

Welcoming reports that the LibDem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has

pledged to look again at the level of spending cuts proposed in

Northern Ireland, SNP Westminster Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie

MP called for a similar commitment for Scotland and Wales from

Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander when he addressed the LibDem

conference in Scotland tomorrow.

Mr Clegg's comments follow yesterday's joint declaration, ahead of the

UK Comprehensive Spending Review, by the First Ministers, Deputy First

Ministers and Finance Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern

Ireland calling for a rethink on early cuts by the Tory/LibDem

government in London.

Mr Hosie, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, said:

"Yesterday's joint declaration was an unprecedented move and is

obviously having the desired effect with Mr Clegg conceding that he

will look again at cuts for Northern Ireland.

"Nick Clegg’s commitment is a welcome and, out of fairness, Danny

Alexander should put on record that all devolved nations will be

treated equally.

“Yesterday’s remarkable and unanimous warning from three out of the

four UK nations, five political parties in government, was a united

declaration and cannot be ignored by the Chancellor.

“The scale of the spending cuts proposed by the UK Government risks

jeopardising recovery in the devolved nations and across the UK by

causing significant harm to the economy at this critical period. There

is no doubt that, by cutting too far and too fast, there is a real

risk that the UK Government will make things far worse.

"It is my understanding that Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to

the Treasury, will be speaking at a Scottish LibDem conference in

Dunfermline tomorrow. In light of Mr Clegg's pledge to Northern

Ireland he must reciprocate for the other devolved nations and pledge

a rethink for spending cuts in Scotland and Wales."

ENDS

Contact SNP press: 0207 219 0074

Note:

1. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg yesterday pledged to look again at the

level of spending cuts proposed in Northern Ireland. On his first

visit to Belfast since taking office, Mr Clegg held talks with First

Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness on

how the coalition Government's spending review on October 20 would hit

Northern Ireland. Mr Clegg said: "The First Minister and Deputy First

Minister raised with me in very clear terms their concerns about the

possible impact of the deficit reduction plan we are setting out on

capital expenditure in Northern Ireland. I have said that I will go

away with colleagues in the coalition

Government to look at this."