Scottish Budget LIVE: Tax plans, spending and cuts revealed as Shona Robison unveils SNP Government Budget

There are some critical spending decisions to be made by John Swinney and his Government - and today we learn just how money will be allocated in the Scottish Budget

Finance Secretary Shona Robison has this afternoon set out draft tax and spending plans for next year in her Scottish Budget statement.

The Scottish Government has announced the two-child cap on benefits will be scrapped north of the Border as she pledged record spending for both the NHS and councils in next year’s Budget.

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Spending has also been outlined for the commitment to introduce an additional winter fuel payment next year of between £100 and £300 for each Scottish pensioner.

Today, we have learned the Government’s position on council and income tax, as well as its priorities in general as the country heads towards an election in 2026.

Stay tuned right here for every development throughout the afternoon.

Scottish Budget 2025-26 Live

Welcome to the Scottish Budget build-up

Good afternoon!

As always with the Scottish Budget, it’s set to be a busy day at Holyrood, with implications of the decisions announced this afternoon to spread far beyond the four walls of the Scottish Parliament.

There’s been plenty of back and forth in the build-up to today over funding. The UK government argues it has given SNP ministers north of the Border plenty to work with. There has been £300 million committed to Scotland to cover the rise in National Insurance contributions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves also outlined last month the Scottish Government would be receiving both £1.5 billion for 2024/25 and a further £3.4 billion for 2025/26 in Barnett consequentials.

This is effectively money the Scottish Government can choose how to use on its own terms. However, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has been quick to claim it is nowhere near enough. She has argued the UK government’s £300m increase is "simply not good enough" and will not cover the planned rise in employer National Insurance contributions. Ms Robison has said more than £500m would be needed to cover the staff costs of those directly employed by in the public sector, and this would rise to £750m when indirect employees such as those in childcare, colleges or social care were taken into account.

The reality, however, is this is the pot of funding the Scottish Government has to work with, whether they like it or not. Will it mean spending cuts? Will it mean more tough decisions, like some of those taken in the Budget this time last year? All will be revealed soon.

So - when does the Scottish Budget actually get announced?

Good question.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison is scheduled to stand to deliver the Scottish Budget at 2.50pm. As we know, Parliament proceedings don’t always run exactly on time - but she should start speaking close to that planned time today.

How can you follow along with all the details as they’re announced? Well, most importantly, you can stick with me and read this blog, which will bring you all the blow-by-blow details. And if my company isn’t quite enough, there is always Scottish Parliament TV to watch live at the same time - the link for which is available right here.

Have we been told what might get announced?

Details - or leaks - from the Budget have been few and far between to date.

What we do know is that the NHS - and health in general - is a major priority. Audit Scotland warned only earlier this week that some NHS services may need to be “withdrawn” by SNP ministers to allow funding to be shifted to other areas of the health service amid “difficult decisions” in the Budget. You can read the story on that right here.

First Minister John Swinney also pledged back on Monday that improving the NHS would be his Government’s top priority in the Scottish Budget. So, in short, we know there’ll be a sizeable amount of money being announced for the NHS.

Secondly there is housing. There are reports out this morning that Mr Swinney will reverse the £200 million cut to housing that was announced by his predecessor Humza Yousaf, in what would be a significant reset of the SNP Government’s priorities.

Lastly, we already know the Scottish Government has committed to a replacement winter fuel payment for next year that will put between £100 and £300 back in the pockets of all eligible pensioners. So there’ll be money allocated in the Budget for that. If you can’t recall the details of that announcement made last week, them you can catch up on it right here.

Wondering how Shona Robison spent her hours leading up to the Budget?

Perhaps not the question that’s at the top of your must-know list, but we’re here to deliver these not-so-useful nuggets, along with the important stuff.

We can reveal Finance Secretary Shona Robison was getting hands on during a visit to Logan Energy Limited in Edinburgh earlier today.

Hopefully, she will look more of a natural reading the Budget statement in a little over an hour’s time.

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Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson

Hello everyone, this feels big. After the UK Budget was announced, I walked into the Westminster canteen and was greeted by a Labour MP who told me, by giving such a large devolution settlement to the Scottish Government, the SNP were “stuffed”, and out of excuses.

However, speaking to SNP MPs, they saw it as an opportunity, and a way to finally show how they are the progressive party, delivering for Scotland.

Today will go a long way into understanding who is right, and set out the battlefields for 2025. I for one am really excited, which is quite a sad thing to say about financial announcements, but there were are.

Not long now. Brace, brace.

Undersecretary for Scotland, Kirsty McNeill threw down the gauntlet to the Scottish Government earlier, saying they had funding despite the votes of the SNP. Spicy stuff.

Tory MSP Meghan Gallacher is currently raising a point of order over leaks about U-turns, and says The Daily Record is clearly the “favourite paper of the SNP”.

For clarity, The Scotsman plays no favourites, and focuses on holding both administrations to account.

There’s about half an hour to go, so if you’re thinking of taking the bins out or making a tea, you’ve still got plenty of time. While we wait, just thought I’d share my experience in parliament this morning, where fellow lobby hacks and even MPs asked what I was covering, then replied “oh is that today” when I answered the Scottish Budget. Another asked who the First Minister was. So if you ever feel out of the loop. Know by being here, right now, with us, you’re more informed than most, and we’re so glad you’re with us for it.

New First Minister, same old Shona

I think what’s really interesting is that Shona Robison also delivered the Budget last year, but under a different First Minister and Deputy. So this isn’t just about the SNP, but factionalism, what does the party look like under Swinney, how is it different from Humza Yousaf’s vision?

We know the FM’s priorities are child poverty, the economy, climate change and improving public services, but if you were being super critical, those are the focuses of all leaders. Funding to improve all of these will be no small task, so today is a huge insight into how serious the SNP are about tough decisions, and which if any of those are being dealt with in this announcement.

Just minutes away now.

Shona Robison starts by saying she is “very proud” to unveil a Budget that “delivers on the needs of the people of Scotland”, and that it’s one that brings people together, creates jobs, lifts children out of poverty, and offers hopes for the Scottish people.

However, she also says the £3.7 billion announced for Scotland in the UK budget represents an increase of just one per cent a year to day-to-day spending, after inflation and other factors. Think there’ll be some debate around that.

Ms Robison says the budget will invest almost 800 million pounds more in social security benefits in 2025-26, “putting money directly into people’s pockets, and ensuring benefits rise by inflation. “

She adds: “We recognise also that having a warm, safe and affordable place to live is critical to tackling child poverty. “

Home is where the heart is

On housing, Ms Robinson announces £768 million pounds for affordable homes, which she says enables over 8,000 new properties for social rent, mid-market rent and low-cost home ownership to be built or acquired this coming year. It also returns spending to a higher level than it was 2 years ago.

She also promises to work with Edinburgh City Council to unlock over 800 new, net zero homes at their Granton development site.

Education, education, education

On education, Ms Robison announced £120 million pounds for headteachers to support initiatives designed to address the poverty-related attainment gap, which, as we all recall, was Nicola Sturgeon’s main focus, and also, to an extent, her main failure.

Most important meal of the day

Another boost for children, with more breakfast clubs in primary schools across Scotland. Called ‘Bright Start Breakfasts’, it will apparently make things easier for working parents.

Other announcements include £4 million pounds for homelessness and for prevention pilots, as well as over two and a half million pounds to support actions within the Disability Equality Action Plan.

24 hours to save the NHS

Biggest financial commitment of the day goes to the NHS, with a record 21 billion pounds for health and social care. Also an increase of 2 billion pounds for frontline NHS Boards – a record uplift.

Ms Robison says: “That is money that will make it easier for people to access GP appointments, that will improve A&E and ensure more Scots get the care they need in good time.”

The SNP handling of the NHS has been a constant theme of attack from opposition parties, so it’s safe to say they needed an announcement like that, though I’m not sure that will stop the criticism...

More on that NHS funding, it includes 200 million pounds to reduce waiting times and improve capacity, to reform the service and make it more efficient.

Interesting that when Wes Streeting talks about reform and efficiency he’s criticised for it, but there’s applause from the SNP for Robison. Seems both parties are investing, but know it’s not enough, so have to stress the need for “reform”.

Oh and here’s another pledge: By March 2026 no one will wait longer than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment, inpatient treatment or day case treatment. Stick that on your election leaflets!

Any other business

Social care funding going up by 25 per cent, though it’s not very high in the first place.

Hospital at Home service gets more than 600 extra beds.

Extra 20,000 cataract and other optometry procedures in the community. Over 6000 additional hip replacements or similar procedures each year.

Councils are back, baby

In 2025-26, the Scottish Government will increase local authority funding by more than 1 billion pounds.

It will take their total funding to over 15 billion pounds, including 289 million pounds to give real terms protection to the General Revenue Grant.

Ms Robison says this will deliver services people can “rely on”. Bold.

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