Angela Rayner: SNP has no more excuses for inflicting austerity

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has accused the SNP of inflicting austerity.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Rayner said the block grant delivered in the latest UK budget means Scotland's party of government has "no more excuses" about the funding at its disposal.

Rayner was responding to a question by the Labour MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Chris Murray, who raised the issue of The Ripple Project.

The initiative, which provides activities for children and elderly people, may lose core funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board under new proposals it says could force it to close. 

The chief executive of the body, which includes City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian and third sector and community representatives, said the measure is part of a savings programme aimed at closing a multi-million pound financial gap.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Murray said: "My home city of Edinburgh, despite being Scotland's capital, is the lowest funded per head local authority in Scotland due to austerity inflicted on us by the SNP. That means great projects like The Ripple face closure. Now that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has secured the biggest block grant to Scotland in the history of the Scottish Parliament, will the deputy prime minister work with me to ensure the Scottish government uses that to end austerity for my constituents?"

Rayner responded: "I absolutely agree with my honorable friend, it's entirely right to raise the impact of the SNP's irresponsible management of Scotland's finances and the austerity that they're inflicting on his constituents. 

"Our budget rejected a return to austerity. We delivered the largest funding settlement for Scotland in real terms since devolution. The result of the budget is clear, Mr Speaker: the SNP have the powers, they have the money, they have no more excuses."