Tories are bad for your health, Macpherson warns

Tory tax proposals could mean cuts of up to £74.2M in NHS Lothian, according to new Scottish Government analysis.

With the Scottish Parliament set to vote on Stage 1 of the budget this month, the Tories are proposing tax cuts for high earners that would leave a £500 million hole in the budget. With health receiving the largest share of devolved spending, a £500 million fall in available spending would see the NHS in the firing line – and NHS Lothian could lose up to £74.2M.

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson said: “Under the SNP, the NHS has record staffing and record funding – and the draft Scottish Government budget would see that funding increased. 

“But this investment is only possible because of decisions taken by the Scottish Government, with progressive policies seeing higher earners paying slightly more to support our public services. 

“Ruth Davidson’s Tory tax plans would blow a £500 million hole in the Scottish Government’s budget – this would be another Tory cut to Scotland’s public spending, on top of the £2.6bn of cuts that the Tory UK government are already imposing on Scotland over a decade of Westminster austerity. 

“Scottish Conservative policies would damage public services in our capital city, including cuts to the NHS, and their Tory cuts would be equivalent to cutting 1777 nurses in our region – the Tories should explain why they’d prefer to give a handout to millionaires than to fund our hospitals.”