I want to start by echoing a number of comments in commending the Chancellor on what was not an easy position to find himself in, only elevated to the role a couple of weeks ago and having to compose a Budget in the face of the coronavirus and the fast-moving changes coming off the back of it, topped off with the fact that it is debatable how much say he had in it—Dominic Cummings has done a grand job in pulling this together at such short notice.
There is a limit to the levers that can be pulled to prevent the economic damage that we are braced for from this viral outbreak. Preparations to save people’s lives must clearly be the first priority in any situation, but coronavirus is not the only crisis looming. There are many others of an entirely self-inflicted nature for which this Government are very poorly prepared. The good news is that they can be stopped by some simple changes of policy direction, and we on the SNP Benches are always happy to offer suggestions for a better way forward.
I want to begin with the areas that this Budget has been silent on or has missed. Certainly, the first and foremost of these for my constituents in Midlothian who have been in contact with me is this: what about the
WASPI women? They are still waiting for justice, having lost years of expected pension without sufficient warning from the Government at the time. The SNP has previously demonstrated how the promise to the 1950s women could be honoured, and at a far lower price tag than pet projects such as HS2, where endless billions have been found to dig the Government deeper into the hole they have created. To borrow a phrase from the Chancellor, “Come on, Chancellor, just get it done!”
The Tories claim to be the party of business, but I suspect their interests lie more with the multi-millionaires and the multinationals, for this Budget does nothing for the small businesses that are the lifeblood of my constituency of Midlothian. Life is being made more and more difficult by ill thought out policies such as the IR35 reforms, which could badly damage or close down the businesses of contractors and freelancers.
While I welcome some of the steps outlined to tackle more of the promoters of tax schemes, as usual the little guys and gals are merely collateral damage. They are left out of pocket, while those who seek to avoid paying their dues will no doubt carry on with impunity. We do not even need to look for evidence of this, as we know that so far not one single promoter of a loan charge scheme has been prosecuted, while countless individuals, who were simply following the advice and guidance available at the time, are left ruined.
As if that was not enough, there is the ongoing drama of the blind Brexit alley the Government have led us down. We have had industry experts across a whole range of sectors in Scotland—hospitality, tourism, food and farming, health and social care, manufacturing—all lining up to say how devastating the new immigration plans will be. What sort of Government would deliberately and wilfully fly in the face of all the evidence, and take measures that will drive down economic growth? They are certainly not a Government I would vote for.
While some Conservative Members would describe the immigration proposals as their most popular policy, it is certainly not in my country. The Scottish Government have offered the sensible, evidence-based solution of a Scottish visa, which could protect the economy from this vandalism, while allowing the rest of the UK to continue to shoot itself in the foot if it so chooses. It is disappointing that the Government have refused even to give this plan respectful consideration. Scotland is fed up with having damaging Tory policies inflicted on it against our democratic will. Even Scottish Tories, by all accounts, are fed up with it.
We are also fed up with having promises made and promises swiftly dropped, the defence estate review being just another example. In 2013, we were told by Philip Hammond that we would get more than our fair share—that Scotland would get its fair share of military bases, with a promise of 12,500 personnel by 2020. Instead, the numbers have dropped from 10,600 in 2013 to 9,680 now. We also have no surface warships or bases in Scotland, despite 60% of maritime territory being in Scottish waters, and eight Scottish bases are confirmed for closure, including the Glencorse barracks at Penicuik in my constituency. It cannot be right that there is no money for the personnel and the bases that we need, while £2.26 billion is wasted annually on Trident—that immoral, useless virility symbol, which a majority of the Scottish people do not want on our shores. It is time the Government took the decision to rid us of these
weapons of mass destruction and to scrap the £200 billion replacement plans, rather than the continued nuclear willy waving.
This Government had a real opportunity today to set out an agenda for change. This was an opportunity to look to support those who need a little extra help, to reach out and give a helping hand to the most vulnerable in our communities and to recognise that, after a decade of Tory austerity, we need to invest to grow the economy. But, sadly, as is too often the way with Tory Governments over the years, they look for a way to abandon the rest of us and look out for their own. Perhaps this explains why Scotland has resoundingly rejected their ideological position consistently, in election after election, for almost 70 years.
To conclude, while we must do all we can to prepare for coronavirus, there are many more threats to the wellbeing of the Scottish people and our economy, and they are coming from the skewed policy priorities of this UK Government. When a Government refuse to listen and impose policies that are against the best interests of the people they are supposed to serve, it is time for change, and it is time for Scotland to choose our own path.
6.19 pm