Scandal, spending and the Scottish Tories - the 6 big talking points as the Scottish Parliament restarts

Summer is over - which means another parliamentary term in Holyrood is about to begin.

It has been a very busy summer, not least because of the general election.

While the political makeup in Holyrood has not been altered, Westminster now looks vastly different, especially its Scottish contingent.

As well as having to work with a new Labour administration in London, the Scottish Government is also grappling with ever-tightening purse strings.

The Scotsman takes a look at seven big questions for the government as MSPs prepare to go back to parliament.

1 - Just how bad are the public finances?

It has been a cruel summer for the Scottish budget.

On Tuesday, finance secretary Shona Robison will outline just how cruel it has been when she gives parliament a fiscal update.

She is expected to announce hundreds of millions of pounds worth of cuts.

Numerous cuts have already been made, including cuts to universal winter fuel payments, the reintroduction of peak rail fares, shelving active travel projects, putting pledges for free iPads on hold, and cuts to culture and nature restoration funds.

Civil servants have been told to put all options for cuts on the table, including universal benefits like free prescriptions and university tuition fees.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison is struggling to balance the books. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images | Getty Images

Speaking to BBC Good Morning Scotland ahead of the start of the new parliamentary term, first minister John Swinney said the Scottish Government is “living within its means”, but added: “We’ve made the hard choices about expanding the resources that are available to us.”

Given the worrying warnings of recent weeks, it is unlikely there will be much good news in this statement.

2 - What will be in the programme for government?

Ms Robison’s fiscal statement is unusual, as it comes ahead of Mr Swinney’s programme for government statement on Wednesday. 

This way the pair can lay out how restricted public spending is before unveiling what they plan to do with this cash.

If prospects for Ms Robison’s Tuesday speech are bleak, we are likely to see the same on Wednesday.

However he is likely to say his government will continue to take measures to tackle poverty, and set out more detail on what will be cut to make way for public sector pay deals.

3 - Who will lead the Scottish Conservatives at FMQs?

It has not been a great summer for Douglas Ross.

There was great backlash to his decision to replace David Duguid as the candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, which led to him resigning as party leader.

He then ultimately lost this seat to the SNP.

Outgoing Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

There were subsequent allegations he was plotting to ditch his seat at Holyrood in favour of a return to Westminster, and planned to place Russell Findlay MSP as his successor.

Mr Findlay is now one of three vying to replace him as party leader - he is up against Murdo Fraser MSP and Meghan Gallacher MSP.

But Mr Ross will continue to lead the Scottish Conservatives until his replacement is announced on 27 September, including at their weekly grilling of Mr Swinney at first minister’s questions.

He is likely to be in for a hard time himself when he squares off against Mr Swinney on Thursday.

4 - Can Scottish Labour keep the momentum?

Not everyone has had a bad summer - there can be no doubt Scottish Labour has had a fantastic few weeks.

The party swept the board north of the border at the general election, winning 37 seats and helping to secure Sir Keir Starmer’s victory.

The latest polling also suggests leader Anas Sarwar could become the next First Minister after the 2026 Holyrood election.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and some of the new Scottish Labour MPs. Image: Getty Images. | Getty Images

It is looking great for the party - but can it keep this momentum up for another two years?

Labour is back in charge in Westminster, so it is their fault if anything goes wrong.

We have already heard dire warnings about how things are going to get worse before they get better, and rising uncertainty on how much cash is coming Holyrood’s way in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s October budget.

If this continues, it will be harder and harder for Mr Sarwar and his MSPs to convince voters to lend him their votes.

5 - The aftermath of scandal

This is the first time MSPs will be back in the debating chamber since the general election, and since the SNP met at the weekend in Edinburgh to discuss exactly what went wrong for them.

The party had a bruising election night, losing almost all its seats in the central belt, dwindling down to just nine MPs.

Many have pointed the finger at scandals such as Michael Matheson MSP.

The Falkirk West MSP resigned as health secretary after claiming £11,000 in data roaming charges on his parliamentary expenses.

However despite mass outrage he has not been ousted as an MSP or as a member of the SNP, a decision which some say has added to the public’s distrust of the SNP.

On top of that, questions have been raised about a meeting last month between external affairs Secretary Angus Robertson and UK deputy Israeli ambassador Daniela Grudsky.

Daniela Grudsky met Angus Robertson in Edinburgh | Daniela Grudsky

Palestinian Scots protested outside the SNP conference to say they will never vote SNP again after this meeting.

With it being summer recess, Mr Robertson has not faced parliamentary scrutiny over this meeting - until now. 

6 - What is going to happen to conversion therapy legislation?

Before the summer recess, the SNP government was looking at banning conversion therapy, which are practices seeking to alter or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

It is proving controversial, as some are worried it could tread on freedom of speech and could criminalise parents or religious leaders for helping youngsters questioning their sexuality or gender.

Previously the Conservative UK Government said it would ban conversion therapy in England and Wales, but that would not cover trans people.

However the new UK Labour Government pledged to outlaw conversion therapy completely, so the Scottish Government will now need to decide how it works with Labour on this issue.