John Swinney Rejects Call for Sturgeon Inquiry

John Swinney has announced that spending cuts made by the Scottish government will not be reversed this year, citing the need to balance the budget following the allocation of £1.5 billion to public sector pay deals. Despite pressure from the Scottish Greens, Swinney emphasized that the increased funding was necessary to meet rising costs and maintain fiscal stability. In a separate issue, he defended Nicola Sturgeon amid accusations of hypocrisy after she received £25,000 for an ITV appearance, contrasting it with previous calls for Ruth Davidson’s resignation for a similar fee. Additionally, Swinney has rejected calls for a judge-led inquiry into the investigation of Sturgeon regarding the ministerial code, asserting that such scrutiny of the inquiry's integrity is unwarranted. He maintained that the civil servants involved acted appropriately and that he only became aware of the findings of the inquiry when they were publicly released. Opposition parties have raised concerns about the independence of the inquiry due to the involvement of government staff, but Swinney insists there were no conflicts of interest.