Margo bargaining for more ahead of tight budget vote

Published on Saturday 2 February 2008 10:03

INDEPENDENT Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald today said she wanted further help for Edinburgh in return for her support in next week's final vote on the SNP budget.

She called on the Scottish Government to reverse its plan to move sportscotland's headquarters from Edinburgh to Glasgow. She also wants it to pledge full implementation of a new health funding formula which would hand Lothian an extra 58m.

The Government's budget cleared its first parliamentary hurdle last month by just 64 votes to 62 when Ms MacDonald backed the 30 billion spending plans after Finance Secretary John Swinney promised a "capital city supplement" to recognise Edinburgh's extra financial burdens.

The arithmetic could prove just as tight when MSPs are asked to approve the final version of the budget on Wednesday afternoon.

The Tories, who sided with the SNP in the first vote, and the Greens, who abstained, are both demanding concessions before deciding what they will do.

And Ms MacDonald said the Government could not count on her vote just because she had backed them last time.

She said: "I am still hopeful a bit more can be coaxed out of the Finance Secretary.

"I want them to reverse the decision to move sportscotland to Glasgow with the loss of 80-100 jobs from Edinburgh.

"And there has been a review of the Arbuthnot formula for funding health boards which has recognised Lothian was not getting a fair amount. Altogether it would mean 58m more. I want that money paid in full."

The SNP announced last month it was going ahead with the sportscotland relocation to Glasgow originally proposed by the previous Labour-Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive despite warnings it could lead to a damaging loss of expertise.

Ministers said it made sense to base the national sports agency close to the site for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, but critics have argued sportscotland's headquarters staff will have little involvement with the event.

The proposals by an independent committee for a new funding formula for health services, unveiled last September, would benefit Lothian because it takes more account of growing population. But no commitment has been given on whether it is to be adopted or not.

Ms MacDonald said: "I was very happy (Mr Swinney] agreed to the capital city supplement.

"It is clear there is still some fluidity in the eventual budget settlement, so I decided to see if we can achieve the same success on these other issues."

A spokesman for the First Minister said the position on sportscotland had been set out. He said changes to the Arbuthnot formula were essentially a health issue rather than a budget matter.

He added: "I'm sure the Health Secretary will be happy to meet MSPs to discuss issues around the Arbuthnot formula."