Anas Sarwar dubs John Swinney 'architect of austerity' in tense general election debate

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Anas Sarwar and John Swinney have clashed in a fiery general election debate.The Scottish Labour leader dubbed the First Minister "the architect of austerity in Scotland" during the cross-section part of the STV leadership debate.Swinney also accused Labour of copying Margaret Thatcher with its windfall tax on the oil and gas sector.Swinney was finance secretary for nine years under Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.Labour want to tax the profits of oil and gas giants but the SNP has said it will decimate the north-east of Scotland.When Swinney put it to him that Labour's current tax and spending plans would mean continued austerity, Sarwar said: "Not at all John.

You are the architect of austerity in Scotland, particularly around local government."We have already committed more money to our public services.

I've already set out how we will get more capital investment."Swinney then accused him of having "totally rewritten Labour's financial strategy."But Sarwar hit back: "We have said that we would not borrow for day-to-day spending.

But we would look at borrowing for capital investment because that's how we grow our economy."I would think as a former finance secretary you would understand that."The pair also clashed on oil and gas.Sarwar: "We would do a windfall tax on the oil and gas giants to make sure we're putting more money into people's pockets, to lower their bills, as well as investing in the clean energy of the future."He continued: "(A windfall tax) is going to raise billions of pounds of investment, around three billion a year, and that's going to mean more money in people's pockets in the short term."Swinney put it to him that it would cost 100,000 jobs.But Sarwar replied: "I can understand why after 14 years