LABOUR leader Kezia Dugdale said the SNP is cutting council funding for childcare.

She said figures from the Scottish Parliament show cash for councils to deliver the Scottish Government’s childcare pledge has fallen by more than £10m.

She said budget to build new nurseries to meet the extra demand has been cut by 57%.

Ms Dugdale visited Elie Street nursery in Glasgow, where she highlighted the claim and said experts backed her plan to raise tax to avoid the cuts.

She said: “Investing in childcare isn’t a social policy, it’s a key economic policy for the next decade.

“Childcare is a huge cost for families across the country, but cutting the budgets to deliver more flexible and accessible childcare is not going to help anyone.

“Faced with that choice between cuts that will short-change families or using the powers of the Scottish parliament I would use the powers of the Scottish Parliament.”

Her tax plan has been criticised by the SNP as unworkable and hitting the lowest paid hardest.

Ms Dugdale however said independent analysis shows the higher earners would pay more

She said analysis form the Resolution Foundation shows that the highest 10th of earners would pay an extra 1.3% of their income, or at least £1,000 and middle-earning households would pay an extra 0.4% of their income

Ms Dugdale added: “Experts are lining up to confirm that Labour’s choice is fair.

“The SNP budget will mean huge cuts to schools and local services, and it will short change families across Scotland.

“With a Scottish rate of income tax 1 penny higher than the rate George Osborne set we can make a fairer choice to stop cuts to vital services and invest in our country’s future.”