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Shadow chancellor George Osbourne offers to meet with Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond

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Published Date: 19 March 2010
By DAVID GUNN
SHADOW chancellor George Osborne today offered to meet the First Minister to discuss future spending in Scotland.


• George Osborne

The Tory said he would be "very happy" to talk to Alex Salmond about next year's Scottish budget.

But he did not say if a future Conservative Government would cut the amount of cash the Scottish Government has to spend.

Mr Salmond has written to Mr Osborne, as well as to Chancellor Alistair Darling and Vince Cable of the Liberal Democrats, seeking reassurances the Scottish budget for 2010-11 will not be reduced.

Both Mr Salmond and Mr Osborne are speaking at the Federation of Small Businesses conference in Aberdeen today.

And speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme Mr Osborne said that in his reply to Mr Salmond he told him: "I'm in Aberdeen today so is he, I'm happy to meet him.

"I have said to him I am happy to sit down and meet him and discuss the Scottish budget."

Mr Osborne said: "I think it's in everyone's interest the shadow chancellor of the United Kingdom, hoping to be the next chancellor in a few weeks time, and the First Minister of Scotland, can get together, discuss these issues, and that's what mutual respect is all about."

However he stated: "I think we all understand that we have got to live within our means as a country."

And when asked for a guarantee that he would not reduce the Scottish budget, the Tory said: "What I want to do is talk to Alex Salmond about how we as a country live within our means, I think he understands the country has got a debt problem."

But Mr Osborne added: "I also am respectful of the fact that a budget has been passed in Scotland and I want to have that discussion face to face with him."

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson – who is also speaking at the FSB conference – also said he would be "perfectly delighted" to speak with Mr Salmond at today's event.

The Labour peer told the same programme: "I exchange views with him quite often."

However he added: "I don't know whether we're going to be in the hall at the same time."




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1

Mark Johnston,

Edinburgh 19/03/2010 11:17:56
What on earth makes Alex Salmond think that when spending needs to be urgently cut back throughout the UK (largely because the Treasury bailed out the Scottish banks)so that we can balance the books, that Scotland should be exempt from this?

what kind of bubble does he live in!

Pure arrogance of a man!
2

Jo Public,

19/03/2010 14:29:09
#1. The Treasury also baled out English banks matey. Northern Rock started it all off. And HBOS was effectively run from Halifax which, according to my Ladybird Atlas, is situated in....erm....England.

Don't let your racial hatred cloud your point of view.
3

Neil Waugh,

Old Stathcona 19/03/2010 15:18:56
When did the Country of Scotland suddenly have a "debt problem"?
It's the "country" of UK - whatever the (bleep) that is - which has the red ink issue.
If Scots were allowed to control our sovereign natural resources rather than squandering the cash on English benefits scroungers the Scottish budget would be in fine shape.
Hopefully this is something that Eck will explain to this clueless upper class twit when they have their little sit down in Aberdeen.
4

Yeah1,

19/03/2010 15:31:52
#3

"If Scots were allowed to control our sovereign natural resources rather than squandering the cash on English benefits scroungers the Scottish budget would be in fine shape."

Yes because there are no benefits scroungers in Scotland are there...
5

eck788,

Leven 19/03/2010 16:53:50
And when asked for a guarantee that he would not reduce the Scottish budget, the Tory said: "What I want to do is talk to Alex Salmond about how we as a country live within our means, I think he understands the country has got a debt problem."

But Mr Osborne added: "I also am respectful of the fact that a budget has been passed in Scotland and I want to have that discussion face to face with him."

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson – who is also speaking at the FSB conference – also said he would be "perfectly delighted" to speak with Mr Salmond at today's event

But neither wants to discuss or debate with the Scottish electorate. Let alone the British electorate.
Mr Salmond has one vote. They are answerable to all of us.
6

GenePoolDebtCrises,

19/03/2010 17:00:57
Perhaps Cameron is hoping that Salmond will slice Osbourne up and deep fry him! Its one way of getting rid of him and what is a liability to the Tory Party!
7

eck788,

Leven 19/03/2010 17:07:47
#6

Perhaps Cameron is hoping that Salmond will slice Osbourne up and deep fry him! Its one way of getting rid of him and what is a liability to the Tory Party.

How will he do that? It will be a conversation. Not a public debate.
8

Observant in Glasgow,

19/03/2010 17:22:01
I hope Salmond takes a very long spoon with him if he meets either of these two.
9

Méths,

19/03/2010 18:58:10
Meanwhile in the real world ...

"City boost as Salmond backs £40m tram link"
10

Méths,

19/03/2010 18:58:24
That's the wheely trams of course.
11

Méths,

19/03/2010 18:58:37
or even wheelie.
12

The Tin Man,

19/03/2010 19:15:24
Can trams really do 'U' turns?
13

Méths,

19/03/2010 19:26:02
Only in Glasgow.
14

Observant in Glasgow,

19/03/2010 19:50:01
13 Is that us getting ripped off again then?
15

Grahamski,

Falkirk 19/03/2010 20:28:12
Fantastic the oik and eck show......
16

WDYKD,

19/03/2010 21:06:04

Scotland's ben living within their budget (imposed pittance) for the last thirty years.

While the UK gov has squandered every resource Scotland has for the last thirty years, while ringing up a barrel full of debt.

Now 1.7 trillon, wasn't it

Sit down with Osbourne. Poor Alex. Good Luck the stupid ......
17

Alan B,

19/03/2010 22:10:53
#Mark Johnston

The debt problems are due to the complete and utter incompetence of Brown. Remember the uk real debt ratio to gdp was disgracefully more than 100% of gdp even before this crisis when you include the dodges like taking pfi off the balance sheet aswell as the unfunded public sector pensions.

The structural deficits is due to Brown spending far more than the country could afford to try to by power for himself. If you spend far more in the good times then it is no surprise that when the economic cycle goes full circle then you end up in a complete mess.

So you comments show arrogance, ignorance and gross immaturity trying to have a go at Salmond for Browns mess.

Also remember it is labour that lie about the consequences of fiscal autonomy and as such independence. So if the unionist say there will be cuts with independence it is no surprise that Salmond ties them in knots by asking them to guarantee that their will be no cuts after the election.

And lets face it we should be told of their plans for scotlands budget after the election. That is not arrogance but basic common sense. We should be told what the tories or labour will do. Hiding it and lying is not good enough.

Your ridiculous post tends to suggest it is ok for unionist parties suggest their will be cuts if scotland gets independence but it is not ok for the snp to get these same parties to say what will happen if we remain in the current setup.

18

Alan B,

19/03/2010 22:18:22
#Mark Johnston,

The other points your forget.

Brown said their would be no cuts in the uk spending. Darling has contradicted him. So we should be told exactly what both the tories and labour propose for scotland. It is ridiculous that they can get away with no telling the electrate what they propose after the election. The tories have been more honest. But labour are a joke and all over the place as brown covers his rear end. And Darling is alot more savy and accurate in his predictions that the laughable and humilated brown.

Secondly if there are cuts we need to be told where these cuts are going to happen. (remember the other threads saying Darling is going to give more money away at the budget than expected as the deficit was 12billion in the past month and not 14billion). Why spend more if they are going to cut back after the election. That is just stupid. Only the irresponsible labour party would do something that dumb to buy an election.

But if their are cuts they can be in areas such as defence and trident, pulling out of Afghanistan or other forms of uk expenditure. Or it could be in areas that effect the Barnett formula. Again it we should be told.

AS such i find you comments particularly daft and ill considered.
19

GenePoolDebtCrises,

19/03/2010 22:57:52
re1

Actually British Banks! Northern Rock ring any bells - I suppose not! Waving through without any scrutiny the taking over of the Alliance&Leicester and the Bradford&Bingley by Santander! Does that penetrate the the Labour haze fogging your brain! I could name a few more financial institutions that went with the bowl to the govt but lets not venture down the road of writing a novel!
The debt and credit bubble is UK wide problem! Oh and lets not forget the Quantitative Easing by the printing of £200 Billion to bail out Labours own finacial muddle! It is the Labour Party and Labour govt that is living in a bubble!
20

Robbie Ree,

19/03/2010 23:50:17

Osbourne? However he stated: "I think we all understand that we have got to live within our means as a country."

Is this guy on the same stuff as Mr Purcell (the hoover of glasgow labour)snort,snort?

21

Jimmy Fae the West,

In the Land of Green Ginger. 19/03/2010 23:53:56
Hooray! Osbourne is coming to Scotland with a big fat cheque as he is cancelling Scotland's 10% of 130 billions for trident and handing back 10% of the 13 billions London city development cash for 2012. I hope Salmond remembers to ask for the Scottish government's part of the five and a half million promised to the English Football association's world Cup bids as a starter for 2018 and a further total of of twenty billions for 2022 hosting. It seems to be very easy to proscribe funding for fripperies outside of the Barnet formula for London. Recession? I see no recession. The floating runway for the Royal fly-boys could well exceed 4 billions.

 

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