Scottish budget delayed due to election

The 2020-21 Scottish budget will be delayed until after Christmas due to the UK general election and cancellation of the UK Government budget, Cabinet Secretary for Finance Derek Mackay has confirmed.

The Scottish budget was scheduled to be published on 12 December 2019, however Mackay said after discussing with parties' spokespeople he had written to the Finance and Constitution Committee and the Scottish Fiscal Commission to inform them the budget would be postponed.

He said a new date would be decided by the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee as soon as possible.

“The Scottish budget should be published after the UK budget, a view the Finance Committee have indicated they share,” Mackay said.

“Without a UK budget we would not know the final details of any Barnett consequentials from UK spending, or the impact of UK tax decisions.

“It would also be better to consider any new UK Government tax policy announcements and the OBR’s new tax, social security and economic forecasts before a new Scottish budget is brought forward.

“For these reasons, I have proposed that the Scottish budget is not published until after Christmas, and I will work with the committee to agree a new budget date as soon as possible.”

He said a post-Christmas budget would mean “a shortened overall timescale” to deliver and approve the budget, which would also “require flexibility on the part of the parliament, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Fiscal Commission”.