SMPs pass budget bill
Scotland's parliament succeeded in passing the controversial budget
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Wednesday, 06, Feb 2008 07:44
The Scottish parliament has passed a budget drawn up by the Scottish National party (SNP) after a last-minute deal with the Conservatives.
The SNP needed the support of a second party after opposition from the Scottish Labour party and the Liberal Democrats to the proposed £30 billion plans.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats both abstained from the vote, although it still passed by 64 votes to one after concessions were made to the Tories.
In an attempt to garner support across the board, the SNP agreed to cut business rates, a key policy of the Tory party.
From April 2009, rates will be abolished for 120,000 small businesses and an additional 30,000 will see their current rates of 50 per cent halved.
Edinburgh has also been awarded capital city status funding, police recruitment will be boosted by an additional 500 officers by March 2011 and £4.3 million more will be given over to the Climate Challenge Fund to fight climate change.
The disagreements over the budget became so heated at one stage that SNP leader and first minister Alex Salmond threatened to quit his post if it failed to pass.
However, once it was agreed and ratified, finance secretary John Swinney described the budget as one "for all of Scotland".
"This budget will create a stronger, more confident and prosperous nation and that is what the people of Scotland deserve," he added.
Conservative finance spokesman Derek Brownlee described the deal between his party and the SNP over the budget as "historic".
"It marks the final humiliation of the Scottish Labour party," he added.