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| Scottish independence: Alex Salmond accused of 'campaign of lies' on future of NHS | Scottish independence: Alex Salmond accused of 'campaign of lies' on future of NHS |
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| The debate over Scottish independence has descended into acrimony as nationalists are accused of waging a “campaign of lies” on the NHS, with the future of the health service set to be the crucial final battleground in the referendum race. | The debate over Scottish independence has descended into acrimony as nationalists are accused of waging a “campaign of lies” on the NHS, with the future of the health service set to be the crucial final battleground in the referendum race. |
| With just 24 hours remaining before Scotland goes to the polls, a succession of senior Labour figures accused Alex Salmond and his party of repeatedly lying by suggesting that the NHS in Scotland would be vulnerable to privatisation in the event of a No vote. | With just 24 hours remaining before Scotland goes to the polls, a succession of senior Labour figures accused Alex Salmond and his party of repeatedly lying by suggesting that the NHS in Scotland would be vulnerable to privatisation in the event of a No vote. |
| They spoke out after leaked documents showed that Scotland’s health service is facing a financial black hole of up to £450m in 2015/16, suggesting that deep cuts are likely after the referendum. They were released by a whistleblower angry at claims by the Yes campaign that the biggest threat to the NHS was from the UK Government. | They spoke out after leaked documents showed that Scotland’s health service is facing a financial black hole of up to £450m in 2015/16, suggesting that deep cuts are likely after the referendum. They were released by a whistleblower angry at claims by the Yes campaign that the biggest threat to the NHS was from the UK Government. |
| The row broke out as both sides launched their final campaign drives on Scotland’s streets and doorsteps. In other developments, a report by an influential think-tank has warned that an independent Scotland would face “unprecedented austerity” and will be forced to introduce its own currency within a year if it reneges on its share of the UK’s debts, and David Cameron has hinted that English MPs could get the final say on laws which only affect England, but ruled out creating an English Parliament. | The row broke out as both sides launched their final campaign drives on Scotland’s streets and doorsteps. In other developments, a report by an influential think-tank has warned that an independent Scotland would face “unprecedented austerity” and will be forced to introduce its own currency within a year if it reneges on its share of the UK’s debts, and David Cameron has hinted that English MPs could get the final say on laws which only affect England, but ruled out creating an English Parliament. |
| The leaked NHS documents, which were presented to a meeting of health board chief executives and civil servants last month, say the closure of services in Scotland will have to be considered. “The status quo and preservation of existing models of care are no longer an option given the pressing challenges we face,” they read. | The leaked NHS documents, which were presented to a meeting of health board chief executives and civil servants last month, say the closure of services in Scotland will have to be considered. “The status quo and preservation of existing models of care are no longer an option given the pressing challenges we face,” they read. |
| Mr Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, said the suggestion that NHS funding would have to be cut in order to make the savings was “absolutely untrue”. His deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, said the leaked paper was a “discussion document written in the context of the status quo” and highlighted the pressure being placed on Scotland’s NHS from Westminster. | Mr Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, said the suggestion that NHS funding would have to be cut in order to make the savings was “absolutely untrue”. His deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, said the leaked paper was a “discussion document written in the context of the status quo” and highlighted the pressure being placed on Scotland’s NHS from Westminster. |
| But Labour said the documents showed that dishonesty lay at the heart of the Yes campaign. Ed Miliband, the party’s leader, said: “The cat is rather out of the bag. The SNP has spent this whole campaign saying the real danger is voting No for the NHS, and now we discover they’re planning secret cuts to the National Health Service. It was a lie.” | But Labour said the documents showed that dishonesty lay at the heart of the Yes campaign. Ed Miliband, the party’s leader, said: “The cat is rather out of the bag. The SNP has spent this whole campaign saying the real danger is voting No for the NHS, and now we discover they’re planning secret cuts to the National Health Service. It was a lie.” |
| Gordon Brown, the former prime minister, said Mr Salmond’s “lies have been exposed, laid bare”, adding: “It is the SNP who are perpetrating a lie about what the NHS can and cannot do in Scotland.” | Gordon Brown, the former prime minister, said Mr Salmond’s “lies have been exposed, laid bare”, adding: “It is the SNP who are perpetrating a lie about what the NHS can and cannot do in Scotland.” |
| Alistair Darling, the leader of the Better Together campaign, said: “All along Alex Salmond has known that cuts of £450m were coming. But he wasn’t going to tell us til Friday morning, after we voted.” | Alistair Darling, the leader of the Better Together campaign, said: “All along Alex Salmond has known that cuts of £450m were coming. But he wasn’t going to tell us til Friday morning, after we voted.” |
| Margaret Curran, Labour’s shadow Scotland Secretary, added: “We have got a campaign of lies from the SNP who are trying to tell us that the NHS is under threat when in fact it is under threat from the SNP.” | Margaret Curran, Labour’s shadow Scotland Secretary, added: “We have got a campaign of lies from the SNP who are trying to tell us that the NHS is under threat when in fact it is under threat from the SNP.” |
| Gordon Brown, campaigning at an event at Clydebank Town Hall on Tuesday, said: “It is the SNP who are perpetrating a lie about what the NHS can and cannot do in Scotland.” (PA) | |
| Hitting back, Mr Salmond said the claims of NHS cuts were “mythical”, pointing out that the Scottish Parliament planned to raise the health service’s budget from £11.9bn to £12.7bn next year. “What this paper does is part of the normal planning in the health service,” he said. | Hitting back, Mr Salmond said the claims of NHS cuts were “mythical”, pointing out that the Scottish Parliament planned to raise the health service’s budget from £11.9bn to £12.7bn next year. “What this paper does is part of the normal planning in the health service,” he said. |
| Alex Neil, the Scottish Government’s Health Secretary, added: “We have not been lying to people at all. We are not going to be cutting the NHS budget. We have passed a budget for this year and we have published a budget for next year and both of those show a substantial increase in spending for the NHS.” | Alex Neil, the Scottish Government’s Health Secretary, added: “We have not been lying to people at all. We are not going to be cutting the NHS budget. We have passed a budget for this year and we have published a budget for next year and both of those show a substantial increase in spending for the NHS.” |
| The tone of the debate over Scotland’s future has not always been so conciliatory. Mr Miliband was called a “fucking liar” by Yes supporters tiday as he toured a shopping centre in Edinburgh, prompting him to say that the campaign has had “an ugly side”. At a No campaign rally in Glasgow on Monday night, Respect MP George Galloway said he had been told he was going to “face a bullet”. | The tone of the debate over Scotland’s future has not always been so conciliatory. Mr Miliband was called a “fucking liar” by Yes supporters tiday as he toured a shopping centre in Edinburgh, prompting him to say that the campaign has had “an ugly side”. At a No campaign rally in Glasgow on Monday night, Respect MP George Galloway said he had been told he was going to “face a bullet”. |
| The drive for independence has led some MPs to demand that the Westminster anomaly allowing Scottish MPs to vote on England-only issues is urgently addressed. Mr Cameron hinted that a plan to deal with the problem was under consideration, but added that the Government was not “remotely near” creating an English Parliament. | The drive for independence has led some MPs to demand that the Westminster anomaly allowing Scottish MPs to vote on England-only issues is urgently addressed. Mr Cameron hinted that a plan to deal with the problem was under consideration, but added that the Government was not “remotely near” creating an English Parliament. |
| Meanwhile, the National Institute for Economic and Social Research think-tank warned that Mr Salmond’s threat to withhold Scotland’s share of the UK national debt if no formal currency union is agreed after independence may backfire. | Meanwhile, the National Institute for Economic and Social Research think-tank warned that Mr Salmond’s threat to withhold Scotland’s share of the UK national debt if no formal currency union is agreed after independence may backfire. |
| “International investors are likely to see walking away from debt as opportunistic and charge very high borrowing premiums or exclude Scotland from international capital markets,” it said in a report. “This would imply an immediate return to a fiscal surplus and unprecedented austerity.” | “International investors are likely to see walking away from debt as opportunistic and charge very high borrowing premiums or exclude Scotland from international capital markets,” it said in a report. “This would imply an immediate return to a fiscal surplus and unprecedented austerity.” |
| But John Swinney, Scotland’s Finance Secretary, insisted that a currency union would be agreed after a Yes vote “because it’s in the overwhelming financial interest of the rest of the UK as well as an independent Scotland”. | But John Swinney, Scotland’s Finance Secretary, insisted that a currency union would be agreed after a Yes vote “because it’s in the overwhelming financial interest of the rest of the UK as well as an independent Scotland”. |