An analysis by Professor David Bell – adviser to the Scottish Parliament’s finance committee – has shown that Scotland could lose out on £4.5 billion a year from the Treasury if the Tory proposals were adopted. This is almost equal to the £4.7 billion spent in 2007/8 by local authorities on education. With the most recent official figures showing that Scotland was in surplus for three years running to the tune of £2.3 billion – compared to a UK deficit of £24 billion over the same period – Mr FitzPatrick described the proposals as the real rip-offA £4.5 billion cut from the Scottish budget a year would equal:
* 256,000 nurses for a year – almost FOUR times the 67,965 currently in Scotland
* 211,000 police constables for a year – over TWELVE times the 17,217 currently in Scotland
* Up to 145,000 prison places per year - almost TWENTY times the 7,434 currently in Scotland
* 220,000 probationary teachers for a year – over SEVENTY-FOUR times the 3,038 currently in Scotland
Expressed in terms of capital projects the sum would equal:
* Five Southern Generals at £842 million each
* Two replacement Forth Crossings at approximately £2.2 billion each
* 37 prisons based on £120 million each
EVERY VOTE FOR LABOUR, IS A VOTE FOR THE TORIES.
REMEMBER THE 'FEEBLE FIFTY' WHEN THATCHER WAS IN POWER
ONLY THE SNP WILL STICK UP FOR SCOTLAND!
