JOHN Swinney cannot guarantee a cut-free budget if Scotland were financially independent, the Evening Times can reveal.

The Deputy First Minister refused to rule out cuts under full Fiscal autonomy but added it would "improve economic reforms."

Speaking yesterday during a campaigning session with Glasgow North candidate Patrick Grady, Mr Swinney said a timetable for full fiscal autonomy "would be determined by political discussion with the UK government" and added: "Crucially with fiscal autonomy, which is often missed in the debate, it gives you the power to improve economic reforms.

" If you look back at pre 1999, before the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, you have a situation where employment was poorer than in the rest of the UK, productivity was poorer and growth in the economy was poorer.

"If you look as a consequence of devolution we've now got a higher employment rate than the rest of the UK, productivity which was 6% lower in Scotland than the rest of the UK is now relatively comparable and growth in Scotland, instead of trailing the UK is now relatively comparable.

"Being able to take different decisions and distinctive decisions here in Scotland compared to decisions taken on a one size for all within the UK gives you the ability to take different decisions which are in the right interests of the public in Scotland."

The finance secretary also blasted the IFS report earlier this week, which said the SNP's rhetoric did not match their financial plans in their manifesto.

He said the report has inaccuracies and said: "I think there were three particular flaws in the IFS analysis - they gave us no financial credit for tackling tax avoidance, no credit for tax changes or rises we are putting in place, and thirdly they put the wrong borrowing figure in for 2019/20.

"If they included those three factors you would have had a very different analysis."

Mr Swinney was also unable to guarantee an austerity-free budget in the next parliament, but vowed that SNP MPs would "press for an increase in public expenditure of 0.5% above inflation in each of the financial years of the next parliament."

"That's the guarantee from the SNP."he added.

He said the public were "desperate" for austerity to be brought to an end, adding that they want to see investment in the economy in line with his party's proposals.

Speaking about his appearance on Question Time earlier this week, he slated William Haig's performance and said: "He was getting pressed by members of the audience and they were asking where he was going to make these cuts. what's going to be the scope.

"There was no answer...he couldn't say. David Dimbleby was asking him 'Do you know and you're not telling us or do you not know?'

" Whatever one it is, people can only assume there is going to be some further significant impacts on public services and public expenditure and particularly on the public in Scotland.

"Most particularly on vulnerable people within Scotland because what the Tories are trying to do is reduce welfare expenditure and that will have the most severe effect on members of the public here. "

An avid runner, Mr Swinney said he is in training for the Mull of Kintyre half marathon at the end of next month.

When asked if he thought he would beat Labour's Jim Murphy in a race, he said: "I suspect on this one Jim Murphy would have the edge.

"Jim Murphy is a faster runner than me, I'm pretty sure that is a known fact.

"Electorally though, we are in the lead."