SSP Press Release 21 August

The Scottish Socialist Party today condemned the latest hike in the cost of the Holyrood fiasco and demanded that Westminster pick up the bill in full recognition of their responsibility for imposing an open-ended contract in 1998.

Tommy Sheridan MSP and SSP National Convenor said, "The disgraceful open-ended contract which has allowed Holyrood's cost to rocket from £40 million to £400 million was devised by Donald Dewar, Helen Liddell, John Reid and other Westminster cronies before the Scottish Parliament was even elected. This ridiculous contract was imposed on the new Scottish Parliament by the New Labour and Liberal parties. It is the responsibility of Westminster, not the people of Scotland. Not one penny should come out of Scotland's allocated block grant.

“The question remains, whose heads should roll over this fiasco? The role of people like Liddell, Reid and McConnell who was the first Finance Minister of the new Scottish Parliament must be thoroughly investigated. If an ordinary worker made a mistake of such magnitude, he or she would be summarily sacked. The same fate should be applied to our so-called leading politicians."