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Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that it is “intolerable and unacceptable” that the funding of the coronavirus in England does not result in extra money being given to the Scottish government.
UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced billions of pounds of additional aid for businesses and workers affected by Covid-19 restrictions in England.
Scottish Conservatives hailed the UK government’s “very successful support”, but Sturgeon said the chancellor has told Scottish ministers that the new measures “will not deliver any extra money upfront for Scotland” beyond £ 700. millions of funds that have already been pledged.
The Prime Minister lashed out on Twitter, saying: “Companies in England have rightly been given an open pledge of support for as long as it takes.
(Image: Daily log)
“And scotgov is expected to match it for Scottish businesses, with no confirmation that the money will be there to pay (and no borrowing power to raise it).”
He added: “It is an intolerable and unacceptable position, and deeply unfair to Scottish companies who deserve the same open commitment that is given to their counterparts in England.”
His comments came after Sunak announced that the Workforce Support Plan, a replacement for the leave plan that will end this month, will be made more generous, with fewer expectations from employers and fewer work hours from staff.
Grants of up to £ 2,100 have also been announced for businesses in the second tier of the English alert system.
Scotland’s Finance Secretary Kate Forbes also attacked, saying: “The Chancellor has issued a blank check for business support grants in England, but refuses to do the same for Scotland.”
She also described the situation as “unacceptable and unsustainable”, before stating that the Scottish Government “stands out from future funding and is denied the ability to borrow if necessary.”
Ms Forbes urged the Chancellor to provide more funding for Scotland, saying: “It is completely wrong that Scottish companies do not have the same level of certainty about the financial support that is available to companies in England.
“The Chancellor must urgently commit to providing the Scottish Government with the funds we need to support Scottish businesses throughout this pandemic.”
She has already claimed that the additional £ 700 million in UK government funds coming to Scotland are “insufficient” to meet the needs of Scottish individuals and businesses for the remainder of the pandemic.
But Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “The UK government has made it clear that we will continue to support jobs and businesses in Scotland during the difficult months ahead.
“The Chancellor today announced an additional increase in support through self-employment and employment support schemes. That additional support for businesses and jobs is very welcome.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “Throughout this pandemic, whenever jobs are at stake and companies are struggling, Rishi Sunak has delivered.
“With this latest increase in financial support, he has gone the extra mile to protect Scottish jobs and businesses.
“This highly successful new bracket is a major upgrade showing that the UK government will take decisive action to protect Scottish jobs where needed.”
A UK Treasury spokesperson said: “Far from being denied funding allocations to match today’s announcement, the Scottish government already received them earlier this month in the form of an additional £ 700 million.
“This is something that the Chancellor made clear to the Prime Minister in a letter today.”
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