The Scottish Government has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to deliver a budget of investment and opportunity, whilst pledging to work alongside governments across the UK.
According to Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison, the UK Government’s Autumn Budget should be one that focuses on investment and opportunity, whilst delivering additional funding for public services and infrastructure, alongside measures to eradicate child poverty. Some of the other measures that the Finance Secretary has called on the Chancellor to implement include:
- Change the rules around borrowing for greater public infrastructure investment
- Reversing the cut to capital funding
- Abolish the two-child limit
- Deliver an Essentials Guarantee
- Taking further steps to deliver net zero
- Ensure tax changes take Scotland’s devolved system into account
Commenting on the upcoming budget, the Finance Secretary said:
“When I met with the Chancellor last month, we were in full agreement that we must put people first in all that we do. This principle must be at the heart of the decisions at the Autumn Budget.
“I want to work with the Chancellor, and the governments in Wales and Northern Ireland, to ensure that we have a Budget that works for all four nations and delivers the change that people need.
“It does not need to be another Budget of challenge and constraint. Instead, it can be a Budget about investment and opportunity.
“We’re calling for measures to tackle child poverty and grow our economy. We’d like to see new rules around borrowing that support investment in public services. We want the UK Government to work hand in hand with the devolved administrations to provide the funding to deliver on our priorities.
“These are the choices I encourage the Chancellor to make.”
With the budget approaching on the 30th October, Robison has also pledged that she will work with the other devolved nations in Wales and northern Ireland to make sure that all four nations benefit.
Image credits: UK Government and Scottish Government
