The Scottish National Party (SNP) Government’s Budget is set to pass its first hurdle as opposition parties have agreed to support the spending plans after striking deals with Deputy First Minister John Swinney. Both the Scottish Greens and the Liberal Democrats have come to separate agreements to back the Budget for the upcoming year, with Alba MSP Ash Regan also confirming her support for the plans. On the other hand, Scottish Labour has announced they will abstain from voting on the tax and spending proposals, while the Conservatives are expected to vote against them. The final vote on the tax and spending plans will take place later this month in Holyrood.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison is set to present the Budget plans, highlighting a focus on reducing waiting times in the NHS. She emphasised that the Budget allocates £21.7 billion for health and social care, including £200 million specifically aimed at decreasing waiting times and addressing delayed discharge. Robison stated that addressing the pressures on the NHS caused by the lasting impacts of the pandemic is a top priority, with a commitment to increase capacity to ensure no individual waits more than a year for treatment by March 2026. The measures proposed are expected to result in over 150,000 additional appointments and procedures in the upcoming year.
The agreements reached by the Greens and Lib Dems come at a cost of £16.7 million, with the Lib Dems securing increased funding for drug services and hospices, while the Greens secured a pledge for a regional scheme to cap bus fares at £2. Notably, the government has also vowed to alleviate the impact of the two-child benefit cap, although critics have pointed out that there is no allocated funding for this in the 2025/26 spending plans.
In summary, with the SNP Government’s Budget expected to pass thanks to the support of opposition parties, the focus on investing in public services and addressing healthcare challenges remains a central theme. The negotiations and agreements struck highlight the importance of cross-party cooperation in shaping Scotland’s financial priorities for the year ahead.