SNP accused of scaremongering on £30bn cuts

ALEX Salmond has been accused of scaremongering over claims £30 billion would be cut from Scottish expenditure over the next 15 years.

The First Minister claimed the savage cuts would be introduced by a Labour or Conservative government in Westminster and would put "cherished policies" such as free personal care, no tuition fees for university students in Scotland, and 1,000 extra police officers, under threat.

However, political opponents dismissed the claims as "fantasy" and "scaremongering".

Mr Salmond said: "When Labour launch their manifesto, they will not detail that their budget forecasts suggest 30bn of cuts in Scottish expenditure over the next 15 years.

"When the Tories launch their manifesto they will not detail how on top of the Labour cuts they plan a special Scottish cut aimed directly at Scottish spending."

An SNP spokesman added: "We already know that the UK parties are talking about cuts which are 'tougher and deeper' than those of Margaret Thatcher, and it is clear from the trends set out in the latest Centre for Public Policy for Regions (CPPR) report – which describes Scotland's budget outlook as 'grim' – as well as the dismal figures in the Red Book, that this would be the scale of their cuts over the next 15 years."

However, the forecasts in both the CPPR report and the budget statement known as the Red Book, only go as far as 2014-2015.

Professor John McLaren, economist at Glasgow University, said: "It's difficult enough to forecast the next four years, very difficult to forecast four years after that, and well nigh impossible to guess what's going to happen in 15 years."

A Conservative spokesman said: "Alex Salmond is just plucking figures out of the air for a soundbite. It's scaremongering. He is living in Scotla-la-land."

A Labour spokesman added: "It's desperate.

The reality is public spending is set on a review cycle on a three-year basis. You can't make predictions for year four or five, let alone year 15."