Thread by @DeanMThomson

Thread examining SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford's comment on Good Morning Scotland.

He claimed that ScotGov is passing on "every penny" of funding it's receiving for covid.

But just how true is this? What does Audit Scotland say?
#GMS #AuditScotland #IanBlackford
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▶️GMS 20/12/2021

Ian Blackford to GMS argues "every penny" of money received for covid will be spent on mitigating covid. He describes this as a 'commitment', 'promise', 'guarantee' that ScotGov will deliver.

But what does Audit Scotland say?
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▶️Audit Scotland News Release 16/12/2021

"The Scottish Government needs to be more transparent about its spending in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, following a year in which its budget grew by a quarter"

Audit Scotland suggests a need for greater transparency
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Furthermore, Audit Scotland says "The Scottish Government now needs to be more proactive in showing where and how this money was spent,"

Funny...Ian Blackford didn't mention any of that on GMS.
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▶️Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Portfolio

According to the Audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts...ScotGov has allocated money for covid grants in this portfolio that has *not been spent*
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But how much of that £321m is actually constituted by the unspent 'covid 19-related grants for concessionary travel?'

Well according to 'The Scottish Government
Consolidated Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2021' we see £75m underspent.
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So Audit Scotland is saying:

1. ScotGov needs to do more to show how it is spending money, arguing for a need for more transparency

2. ScotGov overestimated expected covid-grant demand in the transport portfolio, so millions for covid-mitigation has went unspent.
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So Ian Blackford is being somewhat disingenuous when painting a picture of ScotGov spending "every penny" mitigating covid.

Not least since millions was allocated and went unspent in Transport because they misjudged demand in that portfolio.
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▶️Meanwhile in the hospitality sector...businesses are desperate for more covid-mitigation support...

"Talks on further support for Scottish businesses are set to take place as firms feel the pinch on what should be their busiest weekend of the year"
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Hospitality sector desperate for more covid mitigation support while Transport has unspent covid mitigation money? 🤷‍♂️

Almost as if ScotGov could do a better job directing covid mitigation cash. Maybe then covid support money wouldn't be idling & rolling over to next year?
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Sources:

▪️ The 2020/21 audit of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts (Dec 21)
audit-scotland.gov.uk/uploads/docs/r…
▪️The Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2021 (see pg 110)
gov.scot/binaries/conte…
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▪️Audit Scotland Dec 16 Press Release
audit-scotland.gov.uk/uploads/docs/r…
▪️STV 'Scottish Government 'must be more transparent on Covid money''
news.stv.tv/politics/scott…
▪️BBC 'Covid in Scotland: Calls for hospitality support after 'bleak Friday''
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla…
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NB...seems @murdo_fraser was less than impressed by the quality of Ian Blackford's answer on GMS too...

https://twitter.com/murdo_fraser/status/1472842013515079683?s=20

@murdo_fraser Here is Kate Forbes trying to pretend the £321m underspend in transport portfolio is due to lockdown having "a big impact on infrastructure projects"
Pity for her I've just shown Audit Scotland's £75m fig unspent due to misjudging covid mitigation demand..

https://twitter.com/_KateForbes/status/1472891229323026440?s=20