Commenting on the Budget, Grahame Smith, Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) General Secretary said:
“Today it was confirmed that Scotland has entered recession at a faster pace than the UK. The human cost of recession was revealed in another substantial rise in unemployment.
“These worrying statistics increased the pressure on the Chancellor to deliver and the STUC can enthusiastically welcome the substantial measures introduced in the Budget aimed at rebalancing the UK taxation framework. Assistance aimed at boosting growth in offshore wind and carbon capture and storage is potentially hugely beneficial to the Scottish economy. We also look forward to the consultation on re-regulation of the financial sector.
“However, the STUC believes a golden opportunity has been missed to introduce a timely and targeted fiscal stimulus to save current jobs and create new ones. We also remain very concerned at the timing and size of proposed efficiency measures”.
ENDS
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