John Swinney has laid the blame for council cuts in Glasgow on the UK Government.

Swinney is expected to be confirmed as First Minister on Tuesday after he was elected as SNP leader unopposed.

He said his “principal policy” will be “to eradicate child poverty in Scotland” which he said was a “curse”.

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Speaking at his leadership acceptance event at Glasgow University, Swinney said his focus would be on the “economy, jobs, health, schools, and public services.”

Asked by the Glasgow Times if he could achieve those aims without increasing the funding available to local authorities, he said the reason councils were facing budget pressures was UK imposed austerity.

Glasgow City Council faces £107m cuts over three years, with an estimated 450 teaching jobs and 150 social work jobs at risk.

Meanwhile, a senior councillor said the council doesn’t have enough cash to fill in all the potholes.

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Swinney said: “I quite accept that there is enormous financial pressures on public services and public bodies, particularly our local authorities.

“There is pressure on the public finance s of every area of government.

"That is because we have been subjected to 14 years of austerity from the United Kingdom Government.”

Glasgow Times:

He said tax changes in Scotland meant there was £1bn cash for councils than there would otherwise have been.

Swinney said: “So, we’ve recognised the need to invest in public services, that’s enabled us to give more money to local authorities than we ordinarily would have been able to give had we not taken those decisions.

“But the underlying problem is austerity from the Tory government in Westminster and I’m not optimistic that the parameters of that austerity are going to change much if there's the election of a Labour government sometime later on this year.”

He said a visitor levy Bill if passed will increase cash available to councils.

He added: “We’ve got to work effectively with our local authorities and we will do that to create ways in which local authorities are able to maximise their resources.”

The First Minister-in-waiting set out what people can expect from a John Swinney SNP government.

He said: “I will lead a government from the centre-left position of Scottish politics, the moderate centre-left,  that’s where I come from.”

Swinney began his speech by paying tribute to Humza Yousaf, stating: “He has conducted himself throughout the last year with grace and with dignity in some acutely difficult circumstances.”

He highlighted Yousaf’s “moral leadership on the issue of Gaza,” describing it as “a light in these dark times.”

When questioned about the SNP’s future relationship with the Scottish Greens and the current policy agenda between the parties, he replied: “I’m sure there will be a lot of common ground between ourselves and the Scottish Green Party,” but added “I don’t intend to return to a Bute House agreement.”