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SNP calls on Darling to protect Scotland from cuts

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21st March 2010

The chancellor has one last chance to deliver a budget that benefits Scotland, the country's finance minister has said.

Speaking at the SNP's pre-election conference in Aviemore, John Swinney called on Alastair Darling to guarantee no further cuts to the Scottish budget this year.

The chancellor will make his Budget statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Yesterday shadow chancellor George Osborne said if elected the Tories would honour the agreed budget and cuts would be delayed until 2011/12.

Swinney said the devolved administration's agreed budget for 2010/11 "protects investment in economic recovery and frontline services".

"Our public services, our businesses, our economy - the whole of Scotland, is reliant on that spending going ahead."

He said the Scottish government had already had a cut of half a billion pounds from Westminster.

Swinney called for a "continued targeted fiscal stimulus for the UK through accelerated capital, with a proportionate share of capital spending for Scotland," a tax regime that support the oil and gas industries and action on the effect of fuel duty on rural communities.

"An oil rich nation like Scotland should be reaping the benefits from our offshore resources not paying among the highest fuel duty in Europe," he said.

"The chancellor should introduce a fuel duty regulator to help our hard-pressed hauliers and motorists."

Swinney also said there is a need for "greater clarity" on future budgets for Scotland "to allow effective planning for the next Scottish Spending Review".

Yesterday SNP leader Alex Salmond told the conference that a hung parliament "may be a difficulty for Westminster but presents real opportunity for our nation".

"Scotland can put the brakes, not on recovery, but on the Tory or Labour cuts," he said.

"We can champion the issues that matter, and secure key concessions for our nation."

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