The Scottish Government has pledged to do everything it can to protect families north of the border from further austerity measures to be announced by the Chancellor.
Ahead of George Osborne revealing details of his Autumn Statement and Spending Review, Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney said ministers at Holyrood would do “everything within our power to protect the most vulnerable”.
Mr Osborne will this afternoon explain how the Conservative Government plans to make £20 billion worth of spending cuts and £12 billion savings on welfare.
The cuts are intended, along with a £5 billion crackdown on tax avoidance, to meet the Chancellor’s pledge to eliminate the national deficit without raising personal taxes.
But Mr Swinney insisted that the Conservatives are “engaged in austerity of choice, not necessity”.
He said: “The Scottish Government has consistently demonstrated that the UK’s deficit and debt can be brought down without the need for huge public spending cuts as set out by the UK Government. We have set out that the public finances can be returned to a sustainable footing alongside increasing public sector net investment.”