September has arrived, and for the first time since the General Election both parliaments are in session.

In Westminster, the new government is already hard at work.

Progress is underway to reform workers’ rights, set up GB Energy and grow the UK’s economy.

And whilst the UK Government has bold, ambitious plans to rebuild Britain, the picture is quite different in Holyrood.

On Tuesday, the Scottish Government’s Finance Secretary Shona Robison updated MSPs on her plans to cut spending in a bid to plug her government’s budget black-hole.

This is the third year in a row in which the Scottish Government has taken ‘emergency’ measures to make cuts. It demonstrates failed policy and a lack of long-term planning to grow our economy so we can invest in public services.

Inverclyde Council has, rightly and repeatedly, made the case for investment in our region's economy, not just to create jobs and boost living standards but to increase tax revenues too.

Ms Robison’s statement that her decisions would not ‘affect frontline delivery’ suggests many of the savings proposed are actually measures to cut waste that should have been made long ago.

But the need to fill this financial black hole shouldn’t come as a shock.

Independent experts such as the Fraser of Allandar Institute have been warning about the fragile financial situation, down to decisions made by the Scottish Government, for years.

People in Inverclyde and across Scotland deserve two governments that don’t play the blame game but take responsibility to fix the current mess.

The UK government is fixing the foundations of the UK economy.

The Scottish Government meanwhile plays the blame game and continues to make excuse after excuse.

Credit to one Scottish Government source though for their honesty when they were reported as admitting this week that they ‘hadn’t looked under the bonnet properly for years.”

The Scottish Government needs to acknowledge its failed policy agenda has led to the poor financial situation here in Scotland.

Lessons must be learned by the Finance Secretary fast. Scottish Government waste, incompetence and mismanagement needs to stop. And so do the excuses.