'You're Not Being Honest' Adil Questions Kate Forbes on SNP's Election Manifesto

but you're not being honest with the voters are you you talk about funding and economists have looked at your figures and your plans and have said that you rely on you getting back into the EU now that is very unlikely to happen you're not going to get that Revenue You're Expecting and actually if you were to leave the UK economists are saying that will reduce your economic growth so you're not even going to have the funds to try and support these Public Services like you're promising now as we begin the final two weeks of the election campaign the S SMP has set out its vision for Scotland their key pledges are Scottish independence an extra1 1.5 billion P for the NHS and rejoining the European Union but the S&P currently well behind in the polls labor predicted to overtake them so how much of that can they truly deliver Scotland's Deputy first Minister Kate Forbes joins us now from Edinburgh very good morning to you although I'm sure you've seen as well as everyone else the polls um the one the savanta one in the telegraph this morning morning looks like you're going to lose 40 seats I mean how on Earth are you going to promise to change anything when people in Scotland seem to have lost faith in you well the only poll that really matters of course is on the 4th of July and we have another two weeks to set out our vision published our Manifesto yesterday which illustrates precisely how we will put Scotland's interests first we know that in this election people are absolutely desperate to get rid of this awful Tory government it is a change election and the offer that we make is to hold labor to account here in Scotland so they don't forget Scotland they actually deliver on the priorities of the people of Scotland for example not doubling down on Tory austerity which is what they're currently proposing Kate Forbes I mean you know we live in a devolved UK the S&P is the government in Scotland uh obviously these aren't the elections for that government but there the polls are showing that people in Scotland are fed up with what you have been delivering I mean waiting lists in the NHS devolved at record levels education no longer the best quality in the UK that's devolved Math and Science down used to be far better than England that has now flipped you've got higher taxes and we all know you went rogue on uh gender ID so it looks like the change that people want is a change from the S&P well that's not what we're hearing out and about around the country but there's two points I'd make there's no question but that our public finances are under extreme strain uh we know that to quote a labor Health spokesperson West streeting all roads lead back to Westminster when it comes to the funding position that's just the way a devolved government works and it's why we've set out in our Manifesto that this is the time to be properly investing in our public finances now we talked about tax rates the progressive tax rates we've put in place have unlocked 1.5 billion which has mitigated against some of that austerity but I'd much rather solve it at source I'd much rather see adequate and sufficient levels of funding for our public services and that's what we've set out in our Manifesto you get 41 billion with this election Scotland gets 41 billion a year and you benefit from the Barnet formula where in Scotland there 25% more funding per person than equivalent spending across the UK you make it suggest like Scots aren't contributing to our public finances and of course they are I mean oil and gas for example has been one of the biggest issues dominating the debate so far with both labor and the conservatives desperately reliant on on windfall taxes from Scottish industry so you know I I I I don't agree in any way that Scots are not contributing to our public finances what they want to see is public finances that are adequate that come from the UK government and an end to 14 years of austerity you know where I would agree with you is that this is a change election we want to see real change and at the moment labor are proposing no change to immigration policy no change to brexit policy and no change to austerity that does not changed it's SNP MPS that will hold labor to account when it comes to the next parliamentary terms but but Kate Forbes you're not changing your tune on Independence and and and you you're suggesting that if the S&P were to get a majority in Westminster then that gives you the right to call a referendum does that also mean therefore if you don't have a majority which the polls are suggesting you will not that is the end of the independence debate as far as the S&P are concerned because if you're going to respect as a democracy well if you have a majority you have that right but if you don't have a majority you no longer have that right well well let's make a few things clear because you started this interview talking about polls and you will see from the polls that support for Independence has remained relatively Rock Solid over the last year and a half even whilst the S&P has been going through some challenges now in an election surely people have the opportunity to give Democratic effect to their preferences and that's what we've set out in our Manifesto the S SMP stands for Scottish independence we advocate for Scottish independence that won't be an exclusive for your viewers and in this election There's an opportunity for those who support Independence to express their wish yeah but what what I'm suggesting I understand but what I'm suggesting is if you don't get the majority if it's a democratic situation as you describe if you don't get the majority therefore have the people decided have the people voted that they no longer want a referendum well it it goes hand in hand with the Democratic mandate that we have right now so in the last Scottish Parliament elections 2021 we elected a majority of seats in that parliament of people that support Independence so there is a a democratic mandate right now we say in this election that there's an opportunity again to put your preferences clearly at the heart of decision- making in Westminster but the bottom line is that SNP will always put Scotland's interest first it's in our DNA so whether that is more funding for the NHS whether that is around our industry and economy and whether that is when it comes to our constitutional future if you believe that Scotland's interest should be heard loud and clear at Westminster including however you're you're not being honest but you're not being honest with the voters are you you talk about funding and economists have looked at your figures and your plans and have said that you rely on you getting back into the EU now that is very unlikely to happen you're not going to get that Revenue You're Expecting and actually if you were to leave the UK economists are saying that will reduce your economic growth so you're not even going to have the funds to try and support these Public Services like you're promising well well let's unpack both of those figures because they come from The Institute for fiscal studies which has obviously been very clear about the 18 billion pounds worth of cuts that labor and the conservatives are proposing but in terms of our figures they've actually said that our estimate of about 30 billion pounds in additional tax revenue by re-entering H the EU is not unreasonably high and we have set out our approach we are unashamedly pro- European union and I'll REM remind you when it comes to democracy that a majority of people in Scotland voted to remain and how did that go so the ifs has set out that clearly it also talks about the prospects of an independent country using figures that are very much based on Scotland's position within the rest of the UK we know that the UK runs a very unequal economy with a lot of the activity concentrated in London and the southeast and what we say is look to comparable other small European countries see how they outperform the UK and look at the prospects for what Scotland might be able to achieve in that event access for example to the biggest single Market in the world yeah all right Kate Forbes uh from the SNP uh thanks very much indeed

Channel: Good Morning Britain

Views: 65,549

Keywords: good morning britain, breakfast show, news, morning news, gmb, good morning britain interview, itv, susanna reid, Talk Shows - Topic, general election, general election 2024, british politics, uk politics, uk election, news live, snp, scottish independence, european union, brexit, nhs funding, snp candidate

Id: XQ1OutT_r3s

Length: 8min 34sec (514 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 20 2024