LABOUR today called for an emergency Holyrood debate after a funding plan for the new Forth Bridge was thrown into disarray.
Scottish ministers want the Treasury to bring forward money – due to the Holyrood administration over a number of years – to pay for the crossing, which is expected to cost between £1.7 billion and £2.34 billion.
But Chancellor Alistair Darling
ruled that out, prompting First Minister Alex Salmond to insist he will not "take no for an answer".
The Scottish Government said it is seeking talks with the Treasury in an attempt to resolve the row.
Mr Darling has already said the SNP administration "ought to have been aware" that the Treasury would not agree to its request for the cash advance.
Speaking at the weekend the Chancellor said: "That particular scheme, where basically they were asking to borrow money from budgets that had yet to be allocated over an extremely long period, that's something that we just don't do. I think they ought to have been aware of that."
Today Labour finance spokesman Andy Kerr said finance secretary John Swinney was "guilty of incompetence on a monumental scale".
Mr Kerr demanded: "He should come before Parliament and account for himself."
The Labour MSP went on: "The new Forth Bridge is Scotland's biggest construction project in a generation and the SNP are making a mess of it.
"For the Scottish Government to make such a major announcement with no funding agreed was outrageous."
Mr Kerr said ministers had repeatedly stated the Scottish Futures Trust – the SNP's alternative to PPP and PFI – will be used to pay for the new crossing.
But he said the plan was "not fit for purpose" and said the SNP should have "opened talks much sooner to put a credible alternative in place".
He continued: "Alex Salmond and John Swinney's approach to the new Forth crossing has been incompetent and irresponsible. We will not allow them to put grudge and grievance ahead of good government.
"Scots deserve a Government that will deliver results rather than excuses. The SNP are doing real damage to the economy by undermining important infrastructure projects and creating uncertainty for construction companies at the worst possible time."
Earlier transport minister Stewart Stevenson insisted that the new Forth road bridge will be built on time and on schedule, despite the funding row with the Treasury.
Mr Stevenson told BBC Radio Scotland: "The Forth road bridge will happen, absolutely. It will happen.
"Clearly it's a substantial project, we have managed to get the price down very substantially.
"That is a considerable assistance to us and, of course, it has to and will come in on time in 2016."
Mr Stevenson acknowledged other projects may be delayed the Treasury money is not brought forward.
"The squeeze that could be on our financing will delay, perhaps, some other projects but that's something for our discussions with the Treasury," he said.
"I am optimistic that sitting down round the table, talking through the issues, we will find ways of dealing with the financial commitments that we require to make over the next 20 years."
