Cosla job loss warning over budget settlement
Scottish councils’ allocations in the draft budget put at risk the delivery of essential services next year, according to local government body Cosla.
budget
Finance Secretary urges MSPs to back spending plans ahead of Brexit
MSPs have been urged to back the Scottish Government’s budget plans to provide Scotland with economic certainty ahead of Brexit.
Tax changes worth ‘price of a packet of crisps’ to people on £15,000 salaries
Households on an income of £15,000 a year will only be 49p better off as a result of tax changes made by the Scottish Government, the Tories have claimed.
Scottish Budget at a glance
– Tax
Sturgeon contrasts ‘strong and stable’ Scots Budget with Westminster ‘shambles’
Nicola Sturgeon has hailed the Scottish Government’s draft Budget as an example of “strong and stable government” – contrasting it with Westminster’s Brexit “shambles”.
Income tax rates frozen as Derek Mackay vows to protect lower earners
Income tax rates in Scotland will remain the same after Finance Secretary Derek Mackay resisted calls to reduce the gap compared to the rest of the UK.
Scottish budget ‘misses opportunity to tackle poverty’
The Scottish Government has “missed an opportunity” to tackle poverty in its budget for 2019-2020, according to charities.
Teachers’ leaders say Scottish budget ‘deeply disappointing’ on education
Derek Mackay insisted improving education was the “defining mission” of the Scottish Government as he announced more money for schools in his Budget.
Public-sector pay deal in Scottish budget attacked by unions
The Scottish Government’s budget for 2019-2020 “does nothing to make amends for a decade of pay cuts for public workers”, it has been claimed.
Extra health cash must be ‘targeted and effective’, Government warned
A doctors’ organisation welcomed an increase of around £730 million in health resource funding announced in the Scottish draft budget but warned it must be “targeted and effective”.
Scottish budget will ‘protect what matters most’, says Finance Secretary
Scotland’s Finance Secretary said his budget for 2019-20 would “protect what matters most” as he announced additional cash for health and education.
Derek Mackay pledges to protect ‘essential public services’ in Scottish budget
Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay will reveal his tax and spending plans for next year from “under the shadow of the UK Government’s chaotic approach to Brexit”.
Finance Secretary urged to give Scottish pubs a break in budget
Pubs and the beer industry sustain more than 66,000 jobs and contribute £1.66 billion to the Scottish economy, according to a new study.
Poundland bucks high street woes to end year on a strong note
The owner of Poundland has cheered “strong” sales growth as the rollout of Pep&Co fashion outlets helped the budget chain shrug off wider high street woes.
Child benefits top-up ‘could lift thousands out of poverty’
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has been urged to help hard-up families by increasing child benefit payments by £5 a week as part of his budget.
Budget talks with Scottish Government ‘can’t take place yet’, say Greens
Formal budget talks between Finance Secretary Derek Mackay and the Scottish Greens have not yet taken place – with the smaller party insisting its preconditions for supporting the SNP have not been met.
Budget will defend public services, Derek Mackay pledges
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has vowed to protect “vital public services” and prioritise spending on health and education in his forthcoming Scottish Budget – despite not yet appearing to have the support to get his plans through Holyrood.
Labour calls for rail fares freeze to help ‘fed up’ ScotRail travellers
Scottish Labour is calling on the Finance Secretary to include a freeze on rail fares north of the border in next week’s Holyrood Budget.
40,000 children could be helped by freezing 41p tax threshold, think tank says
Scottish ministers could raise enough cash to lift 40,000 children out of poverty by freezing the point at which people start to pay higher rate income tax, a think tank has suggested.
Finance Secretary urged to set up £75m Brexit fund for businesses in Budget
Business leaders are calling on the Scottish Government to set up a £75 million fund to help companies deal with Brexit.