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Our analysis of Scottish manifestos out today https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/15412
Strikingly big promises from the main parties, without any serious attempt to provide costings or to say how they would be paid for.
Strikingly big promises from the main parties, without any serious attempt to provide costings or to say how they would be paid for.
Scottish spending per person already about 30% higher than in England, because of transfer of resource from England. Agreement between SNP, Scottish Labour and Conservatives to maintain and extend higher benefits and social spending.
This is a consensus on a different settlement to that in England. SNP and Scottish Labour want to take it much further with very generous increases in childcare, benefits for poorer children and even dallying with idea of universal basic income.
The lack of fiscal realism across the manifestos is striking.
If the hope was that fiscal devolution would improve the financial accountability of Scottish politics, the evidence of this election is that it a hope that has not yet been fulfilled.
If the hope was that fiscal devolution would improve the financial accountability of Scottish politics, the evidence of this election is that it a hope that has not yet been fulfilled.
