Opposition parties block Scots budget

05 February 2009

The Scottish Government’s £33bn budget for 2009/10 was thrown out by the Scottish Parliament last week, with opposition parties not won over by the promise of £230M of accelerated capital spending.

The minority Scottish National Party administration had argued that its budget would allow overall public expenditure to rise by £1.8bn, while freezing council tax and cutting business rates.

John Swinney, cabinet member for finance, had warned that if the budget fell, so would the extra capital investment, including for the M74 upgrade and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Register now for full access

Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.

Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors. Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.

Already a registered? Login