THE Wee County's politicians went toe-to-toe again after the Scottish budget was approved at Holyrood last week.

SNP Clackmannanshire and Dunblane representative Keith Brown hit out at Scottish Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife member Alexander Stewart, saying he opposed City Deal funding for the local area.

However, the Tory man denied the claim, arguing that he was simply going against the minority administration's tax plans.

Meanwhile the Greens, who struck a deal with the government, which needed a majority vote, hailed more funding for the council as well as a £2million fund to support communities that are looking to reopen railways and stations.

Mr Brown said: "I am delighted that parliament has now formally passed the Scottish Government's budget, boosting public services like our NHS.

"However, following a truly inept performance during the budget process, the Tories must explain their hypocritical stance in voting against City Deal funding, including for Clackmannanshire.

"The Tories have been caught red-handed misleading the people of Clackmannanshire. They've spent months questioning the commitment of the SNP Scottish Government to fund City Deals such as the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Deal, despite this never being in question.

"Yet, in a budget containing the very funding they have been screaming for week after week, Tory MSPs incredibly voted against it."

Responding, Mr Stewart said: "This is an idiotic intervention from Keith Brown.

"The Scottish Conservatives voted against the budget because it made Scotland the highest-taxed part of the UK.

"All over Clackmannanshire, as a direct result of this SNP budget, people will have to pay more in tax than they would if they lived elsewhere in Britain.

"That is a disgrace, [it] punishes people who work hard, and will damage Scotland's economy in the short, medium and long term."

The budget included an extra £1.5m for the Wee County, with some insisting the money could be used to reduce the level of cuts expected to hit the local authority in the near future.

Mark Ruskell, Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: "I'm now urging the council to seriously reconsider planned cuts to teacher numbers and family services – these cuts will affect some of the most vulnerable people in the county and should be avoided at all costs."

He added that the new community rail fund could help investigate the potential extension of the Alloa rail line to Clackmannan, Kincardine and eventually Dunfermline.

The politician added: "I'll be working with local community councils in the coming months to make sure this exciting new fund really helps deliver a bigger and better railway for our towns and villages."