Shona Robison to set out tax and spend plans in Scottish budget

The Scottish budget will “lay the foundations for long-term success”, finance secretary Shona Robison has said.

She will announce the Scottish Government’s tax and spend plans for the year ahead to parliament on Wednesday at around 2.50pm.

But this is the first budget in several years which ministers do not already have a parliamentary majority, following the collapse of the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and Scottish Greens earlier this year.

Robison will therefore need to find the support of at least one other opposition party to get her plans through parliament in the new year.

Scottish Labour has accused ministers of being “arrogant and out of touch” during budget negotiations so far.

The Scottish Greens have set out a range of asks already, and speaking ahead of the statement finance spokesperson Ross Greer said his party will work to “deliver a progressive budget”.

Meanwhile the Scottish Conservatives have called for the SNP to “set a new direction on tax and spend”.

Robison’s statement today is the starting point for negotiations going forward. A budget bill is expected to be introduced before MSPs break for Christmas, though the stage one debate will not take place until early February.

Speaking ahead of her statement, the finance secretary said: “The first minister has made clear his focus on delivering on people’s priorities –  eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, improving public services like our NHS, and tackling the climate emergency.

“Unlike the UK Government’s budget which treated Scotland like an afterthought, today we will publish a budget that puts the people of Scotland first.

“We have listened carefully to the needs and priorities of organisations and businesses, and the people of Scotland. This is a budget that will deliver for them by building on the positive change we’ve delivered for Scotland, creating more jobs, and putting more money in people’s pockets.”

She is not expected to make changes to income tax, while more money for the NHS is widely anticipated.

Business groups have called for more support for businesses, including replicating the system of rates relief in place south of the  border, while anti-poverty groups have called for an increase to the Scottish Child Payment and the expansion of early learning and childcare.

Labour’s Michael Marra said the budget was an “opportunity to turn the page on 17 years of SNP failure”.

He added: “More of the same will not cut it – Labour has delivered record levels of funding for Scotland and the SNP must use it to deliver a genuine change in direction. Scottish Labour will fight an election before backing a bad budget and subjecting Scots to another year of SNP misery.”

Conservative finance spokesperson Craig Hoy said the SNP must “undo some of the damage” of the last 17 years, adding: “The SNP's era of high tax, free spending must come to an end.  It's time for a common sense budget that helps workers and businesses, not another left-wing deal that hammers households.”

And the Greens’ Ross Greer urged the government to expand free school meals, cap bus fares, and increase funding for councils and climate-related action. He said: “If the First Minister is prepared to be brave and bold, the Scottish Greens are prepared to work with him to agree a budget which will protect people and planet.”