Sturgeon announces welfare fund boost
Nicola Sturgeon has announced a further £9m of funding for a welfare fund that will help the most vulnerable Scots.
In a speech closing the Scottish National Party conference in Perth, the Deputy First Minister said the fund, currently worth £24m, would be boosted when handed over from Westminster to help another 100,000 people.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We will reverse the cuts that have been made to that Fund by both Labour and Tory governments. We will increase it by £9 million and provide essential crisis support in these difficult times for 100,000 more of our most vulnerable people.
“Our Scottish Government will not desert any of Scotland's people in times of need.”
The SNP deputy leader also called for George Osborne to abandon spending cuts and invest in infrastructure to kickstart the economy, saying the economy "needs a capital stimulus now" to "build our way out of this recession".