SCOTLAND’S Finance Secretary has said Rishi Sunak “didn’t even have the courtesy” to tell her the Autumn Budget was being called off.
While appearing on BBC Scotland’s Debate Night, Kate Forbes was asked if she knew what was coming in the Chancellor’s planned statement this afternoon.
It comes amid calls for the furlough scheme to be extended due to increasing coronavirus cases and new measures to slow its spread.
Forbes laughed and told Stephen Jardine: “I don’t know what’s going to be announced tomorrow.
“He didn’t even have the courtesy of telling me then the Budget was going to be delayed or indeed scrapped which has a huge impact on the Scottish Government’s Budget.”
READ MORE: 'Deeply worrying': SNP blast Westminster's decision to scrap Autumn Budget
The UK Treasury announced yesterday that “now is not the right time” to reveal new finance plans amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, the devolved nations set their own budgets around the UK’s.
The SNP have criticised the UK Government for failing to update them on these announcements.
The party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “Scotland shouldn’t have to wait for Westminster to act.
“Thousands of people have already lost their jobs while Westminster has dithered.
“This crisis has shown that the only way to properly protect Scotland’s economy is with the full powers of an independent country.”
Sunak is expected to announce some form of furlough extension today, saying he will update the Commons on “plans to continue protecting jobs through the winter”.
READ MORE: 'Hamstrung': Nicola Sturgeon's plea for powers needed to fight coronavirus
On Debate Night, Forbes called on the Chancellor to extend the current scheme – saying: “If other countries can do it the question is why can’t we do it?”
If that’s not possible, she said, then further borrowing powers should be provided to allow the Scottish Government to extend furlough itself.
The First Minister has also written to the Prime Minister urging him to devolve new powers so the Scottish Government can fight the economic impact of coronavirus more effectively.
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