It’s Scottish Budget day - what should we expect? The UK budget delivered £3.4bn of extra funding for Scotland, which will certainly help alleviate immediate pressures. But the pressures on the public finances are far from over 🧵 - ThreadSky

lmacfarlane.bsky.social • 89 days ago

It’s Scottish Budget day - what should we expect?

The UK budget delivered £3.4bn of extra funding for Scotland, which will certainly help alleviate immediate pressures. But the pressures on the public finances are far from over 🧵

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gilcky.bsky.social•89 days ago

Should the increase not have been nearer to £6bn…?

lmacfarlane.bsky.social•89 days ago

Much of the new Barnett consequentials will rightly be channelled into frontline services, notably the NHS. This will relieve some immediate pressures, but we should be clear that it won’t undo the damage of austerity and the pandemic

lmacfarlane.bsky.social•89 days ago

The FM has described eradicating child poverty as his “top priority”. The most obvious measure would be to increase the Scottish Child Payment (SCP)

We estimate that raising the SCP by £10 could lift 20,000 children out of poverty, costing around £190m https://www.futureeconomy.scot/posts/59-five-priorities-for-the-scottish-budget

lmacfarlane.bsky.social•89 days ago

What about housing? Last year’s budget cut affordable housing investment by £200m, which was a devastating blow during an acute housing crisis

Today I expect capital budgets to be used to increase investment in affordable housing. The big question is: by how much?

gilcky.bsky.social•89 days ago

Is it correct that the Capital budget has been cut by c16% by the uk gov?

lmacfarlane.bsky.social•89 days ago

On climate: after ditching its 2030 target, the budget must act to restore confidence in Scotland’s commitment by to net zero

Last year’s budget cut funding for the Just Transition Fund by by 75%. Today this needs to be reinstated and scaled up

moh-kohn.bsky.social•89 days ago

I'm v concerned about backsliding on active travel. Councils spent millions getting radical plans in place then came the rug pull. Same as happened on bus priority. These two are the bare minimum/cheapest investments in decarbonising transport.

lmacfarlane.bsky.social•89 days ago

This should be accompanied by increased funding for nation-wide climate and nature initiatives, tied to the government’s new green industrial strategy

We also need to a comprehensive review of grants and subsidies (stay tuned for more from us on this)

lmacfarlane.bsky.social•89 days ago

Then there are the big questions around tax. I doubt we’ll see any movement on income tax - the area to look out for is local tax

Council tax is horribly unfair and inefficient, and urgently needs replaced. This can’t be done overnight - but the process needs to start now

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