There is a lot of analysis and comment on yesterday’s UK Autumn Statement, but from a UNISON Scotland perspective there are two key issues. Firstly, between 2009-10 and 2019-20, UK spending on public services is projected to fall from 21.25% to 12.6% of GDP and from £5,650 to £3,880 per head in 2014-15 prices. Around 40% of these cuts would have been delivered during this UK Parliament that ends next May, with around 60% to come during the next. This takes public spending back some 80 years. The exact impact on the Scottish Budget depends on where a future UK government makes these cuts and the consequential impact through the Barnett formula.
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https://unison-scotland.org/wp-content/uploads/e-briefing_AutmnStatement_Dec2014.pdf