Progress for Scotland

The Scottish Budget will ensure people in Scotland are better off than in the rest of the UK, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said – as she urged Parliament to unite in delivering progress for Scotland.

Published this week, the draft Scottish Budget for 2025-26 includes tax decisions which keep more money in people’s pockets and ensure the majority of people in Scotland pay less tax than in the rest of the UK.

Ms Robison said the Budget delivers key support to ensure people in Scotland will be better off than in the rest of the UK, including:

• Action to ensure 15,000 children can be lifted out of poverty by scrapping the effect of the two-child cap
• Universal winter heating support for pensioners
• Continuing the ‘social contract’ in Scotland, protecting free tuition, free prescriptions and the game-changing Scottish Child Payment.

She said:

“The Scottish Government’s Budget delivers real progress for Scotland – and gives people hope during what has been a difficult period for too many families.

“We heard that people across the country were still struggling as a result of the cost of living crisis.  We listened and we are taking action – that is what you can expect from this government.

“That is why we have taken the tax choices that freeze income tax rates and increase the Basic and Intermediate rate thresholds to put more money in the pockets of low and middle-income earners.

“We know that people want to see improvement in their NHS – and that is why our budget proposes a record funding uplift for frontline health services, with investment to help increase capacity and make it easier for people to see their GP.

“It ensures that we can support our pensioners during the cold winter months, while lifting 15,000 children out of poverty.

“That is delivering real progress for Scotland, which we are asking Parliament to unite behind. I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to stand in the way of that progress – which is why I am looking forward to working with all parties to pass this Budget and to deliver the progress and hope that people in Scotland are crying out for.”