By Katrine Bussey and Scott Macnab, Political Reporters, Press
Association Scotland
Scotland's First Minister today vowed to protect the people from "the
most ferocious series of cuts witnessed in a lifetime".
Alex Salmond said his Scottish Government would cut back on bureaucracy
and management in the police and the NHS to help safeguard frontline
services.
But he warned cuts coming in this week's comprehensive spending review
would bring about "new and trying times".
Mr Salmond hit out at the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition over the scale
of those spending reductions.
Speaking at the Scottish National Party annual conference in Perth, he
blasted: "The Cameron-Clegg pact will see the greatest attack on public
services ever."
He said for the Tories this was "something of a happy moment - a chance
to cut the state back".
But he added: "Well I have news for Cameron - this is a question of
economics, not crossed fingers.
"The cuts are too fast and too deep. We said that at the beginning, we
say it now, and I notice many more agree with us as time goes on."
His message to the Prime Minister was: "Do not sacrifice the public
services to appease your ideological gods. Do not let the people suffer
for attitudes forged on the playing fields of Eton."
He also hit out at Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, saying: "Never has
a politician turned so fast on so many promises."
But he told SNP activists that "as the storm clouds gather" the Scottish
Government's "first duty is to protect the people of Scotland".
He warned the cuts Chancellor George Osborne will announce in in
Wednesday`s spending review would be "the most ferocious series of cuts
witnessed in a lifetime".
Mr Salmond said: "There is nothing to be gained from sugar coating this
- it will be hard, it will be deep and it will hurt.
"It risks ripping the social fabric of our nation.
"But we will not let that occur."
With cuts coming, Mr Salmond hinted police forces in Scotland could be
merged in a bid to save cash.
A quarter of police expenditure goes on headquarters functions for the
country's eight forces.
And Mr Salmond said: "If it comes down to a choice between cops and
bureaucracy, between bobbies on the beat and boundaries of police
authorities, then with me it's simple - it's policemen first, safety
first, communities first. Bobbies before boundaries."
Yesterday, Scotland`s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced
she had told health boards to cut a quarter of their senior managers by
May 2015.
Mr Salmond pledged today: "We will economise on police bureaucracy to
protect the frontline.
"We will economise on NHS management to protect the frontline."
He stressed: "I am clear that when it comes to protecting our people and
to protecting our values then we have to protect the nurse on the ward,
the police officer in the community."
But he also used his speech to make the case for Scotland to have
greater economic powers.
"I will not be a manager of Westminster directed cuts," Mr Salmond
insisted.
No comments:
Post a Comment