IT'S not like Scottish Labour to ask unnecessary questions during FMQs, is it?
During today's installment, MSP James Kelly decided to ask Nicola Sturgeon about the Scottish Budget – prompting a pretty big groan from the chamber, and resulting in him being firmly put back in his place.
The regional MSP said: "To ask the First Minister, for what reason the 2018/19 Scottish Budget was underspent by £449 million?"
There were a fair few eye rolls from the SNP benches.
The First Minister replied that Finance Secretary Derek Mackay had already provided a full statement and detailed briefing paper on how the budget was spent, and continued to explain that under the devolution settlement the Scottish Parliament is not permitted to overspend its budget – therefore requiring sensible budgeting from the Government.
She also reassured the MSP that every penny of underspend is used to "support public services in Scotland".
But Kelly wasn't done yet. He continued to ask about the "nearly half a billion pounds has been kept back in a Scottish Government slush fund".
READ MORE: Holyrood’s hands tied on budget ‘black hole’
Sturgeon promptly replied in a pretty savage take down of Kelly.
"I’m really sorry to say this but I actually feel quite embarrassed for James Kelly right now," she said.
"After so many years in this parliament, that he doesn’t even have a basic grasp of the basic principles of government and budgeting is really quite staggering."
She then pointed to the "£1.5bn that the last Labour government gave back to the Treasury" and the Welsh government's higher level of underspend. It was just too easy.
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