Scotland paying price for SNP's strategy of governing for independence

As Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced £500 million in spending cuts, she predictably blamed Westminster, saying “Labour austerity is as damaging as Tory austerity”. However, for many voters – perhaps 517,622, the gap between the SNP’s vote in the 2019 and 2024 general elections – such excuses, once potent, no longer work.

Instead, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Scottish Government is the author of many of our misfortunes. Clearly, the funding that Holyrood receives from Westminster affects how much Scotland has to spend. When the UK Government makes cuts, Scotland shares the pain.

But in governing in order to further the cause of independence, the SNP has been storing up trouble for the future, and the storm that was once on the horizon has well and truly arrived.

More trouble ahead

In addition to up to £500 million in “direct savings”, Robison also said she plans to use up to £460 million raised by the ‘ScotWind’ offshore windfarm auctions to prop up her government’s financial position. This is worrying for at least two reasons.

First, the money had previously been earmarked to help tackle “the twin climate and biodiversity crises”, presumably including the ‘just transition’ to net zero. Second, the Finance Secretary is using a one-off sum to ensure she can balance the books this year and she is not going to be able to rely on annual auctions of this kind to get Scotland’s finances out of trouble.

Furthermore, this is about the current year’s spending and Keir Starmer’s warning of a tough UK Budget for the following financial year means there is more trouble ahead for Scotland.

The SNP’s fondness for government giveaways – from higher public sector pay settlements to free tuition fees – is largely motivated by a desire to make Scotland look better than the UK, in the hope of persuading people, ironically with ‘Union dividend’ funds, that independence is a route to a brighter future.

However, the failure to prepare better for tough times has meant that the current spending cuts are having to be all the deeper. And Scotland will pay a high price.