By Steve Bargeton, political editor

MSPs WILL next week debate how to pay for the new Forth bridge as the war of words intensified yesterday when MSPs returned to Holyrood after the festive recess.

Labour accused ministers of “mishandling” the funding while the SNP claimed Labour wanted to bring back bridge tolls.

Labour finance spokesman Andy Kerr accused Finance Secretary John Swinney of “incompetence on a monumental scale” and demanded that he comes before parliament and “accounts for himself.”

Chancellor Alistair Darling has rejected a plea from the Scottish Government to bring forward capital spending from future years to meet the £1.7 billion to £2.34 billion cost of the new bridge.

Labour pointed out that ministers did not write to the Treasury alerting it to their proposed funding arrangement until November 27—less than two weeks before the details of the new crossing were announced to parliament.

It was “unforgivable” that the Scottish Government unveiled the new plan before a funding package was in place.

Mr Swinney has said that if his proposals were rejected the bridge would be paid for out of existing capital expenditure but other projects would be shelved.

Yesterday Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson confirmed that other projects could be delayed.

“The squeeze that could be on our financing will delay, perhaps, some other projects but that’s something for our discussions with the Treasury,” he said. “I am optimistic that sitting down round the table, talking through the issues, we will find ways of dealing with the financial commitments that we require to make over the next 20 years.”

However, Labour accused Mr Swinney and First Minister Alex Salmond of being “incompetent and irresponsible” in their approach to funding.

“The new Forth Bridge is Scotland’s biggest construction project in a generation and the SNP are making a mess of it,” said Mr Kerr.

Mr Kerr added, “For the Scottish Government to make such a major announcement with no funding agreed was outrageous.

“The SNP repeatedly told us that the Scottish Futures Trust would be used to deliver the new crossing, but it has been clear for months that it is not fit for purpose.

“They should have opened talks much sooner to put a credible alternative in place.

“Alex Salmond and John Swinney’s approach to the new Forth crossing has been incompetent and irresponsible.

“We will not allow them to put grudge and grievance ahead of good government.

“Scots deserve a government that will deliver results rather than excuses.

“The SNP are doing real damage to the economy by undermining important infrastructure projects and creating uncertainty for construction companies at the worst possible time.”

Central Fife SNP MSP Tricia Marwick accused Labour of planning to reintroduce tolls to pay for a bridge built by private finance initiative or PFI.

“Labour’s behaviour over the Forth crossing is appalling,” she said.

“Instead of getting behind the government’s commitment to build the bridge on time and on budget they are planning to inflict more financial pain on the people of Fife.

“Labour stood in the way of abolishing tolls for eight years. The SNP abolished the tolls in our first eight months.

“Now Labour want to bring the tolls back.

“Scotland has seen the disastrous effects of building bridges through private finance with huge charges on the Skye bridge and ridiculous profits for the companies behind it.”

Last night the Scottish Government said they were looking forward to the debate on the new Forth crossing.

An aide to Mr Swinney said the government would be “delighted to expose Labour’s disastrous and ill-informed position” on the Forth bridge.

“Despite the fact that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper admits that PFI ‘would not solve the budgeting problem if the scheme was classified as public spending’ under the new international accounting rules, which bring everything on balance sheet, Labour want to build a privatised PFI bridge.

“And they have refused to rule out tolls.

“The only example we have had in Scotland of a PFI bridge was the private Skye Bridge, which had extortionate tolls and sky-high profits at the expense of the public purse.

“Astonishingly, that is the model Labour support for the Forth replacement crossing.

“The SNP Government have made it clear that we will build a new Forth crossing by 2016 and it will be built in the public sector—with no tolls.

“That is what the people of Scotland need and want—and the Scottish Government will also fight for a fair funding deal from the Treasury.”