Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 09 October 2024
09 Oct 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Budget Priorities 2025-26
As normal, the Liberal Democrats will come forward with costed, reasonable proposals that will balance a growing economy with an interest in our constituencies and protecting the fabric of society. However, that is for another day, when the UK Government’s budget comes forward and when there are further proposals from elsewhere.
Today, I want to acknowledge the Greens’ influence. There is no doubt that the party has made an impact on the economic performance of the country and the Government. There is no doubt that they have made an impact on housing, the climate and tax. My concern is about what that impact is, and about the Greens’ lack of concern about the consequences of their policies.
For example, there have been reports of behavioural change, with people choosing to work elsewhere because of the ever-rising taxes in this country—yet there is not a peep, a word or a concern from the party about that. The party has ignored housebuilders telling us that they are investing in England, rather than Scotland. It dismissed those concerns with, “What do these people know? Do they know what they are talking about?”, as if it is not a concern for the Government.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-14825, in the name of Ross Greer, on budget priorities 2025-26. I invite members who wish to participate ...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
We are back to being a Parliament of minorities, which means that, for a budget to pass—or, indeed, for any parliamentary business to be agreed to—co-operati...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
Would Mr Greer like to reflect on the fact that, under the fiscal framework and the Barnett formula, we in Scotland have around 20 per cent more to spend per...
Ross Greer
Green
I am grateful for that intervention. There is a range of explanations for those outcomes. First and foremost, although we have greater spending per head, we ...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Ross Greer is right about sustainability and right to think about additional levies. However, I do not think that the levies that he has talked about, such a...
Ross Greer
Green
I am grateful for that intervention, because it takes me to a point that I am about to touch on. Before I get to it, I want to round off the shared responsib...
Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Made a request to intervene.
Ross Greer
Green
I am sorry, but I will not be able to take Katy Clark’s intervention, because I am just closing. The Greens want to see progress big and small. We want, for...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
As ever with these debates, there is very limited time in hand, so interventions will have to be accommodated largely within the speaking allocations. 15:00
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government (Shona Robison)
SNP
I thank the Scottish Green Party for lodging the motion. It is absolutely right that the fiscal levers that are currently available to the Scottish Governmen...
Daniel Johnson
Lab
The cabinet secretary is right to talk about fiscal sustainability. What are her reflections on the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s observation about the £600 m...
Shona Robison
SNP
The Scottish Fiscal Commission also said that there is “considerable uncertainty” about the resources that will be coming to the Scottish Government from the...
Ross Greer
Green
I would appreciate it if the cabinet secretary could confirm that it is still the Scottish Government’s intention to deliver a cruise ship levy by the end of...
Shona Robison
SNP
Yes—subject to all the consultation that we need in order to take on board stakeholders’ views of the cruise ship levy. It is important that we get that righ...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I do not think that I have ever seen a motion so full of so much nonsense as Ross Greer’s. Let me try to unpick exactly where the Greens are in error—althoug...
Ross Greer
Green
Will the member take an intervention?
Murdo Fraser
Con
Of course.
Ross Greer
Green
I am very grateful to Mr Fraser for taking the intervention. I am interested in his thoughts on the question that I posed. Does he believe that the Parliamen...
Murdo Fraser
Con
The Parliament has the most generous block grant in the history of devolution. The block grant has nearly doubled in real terms since the Parliament was esta...
Michelle Thomson (Falkirk East) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Murdo Fraser
Con
I have only four minutes, and I have a lot more to say. I am sorry. Scotland is forecast to have the fifth-lowest gross domestic product growth of any UK r...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I agree with Ross Greer that it is certainly a good thing that we are going to have the long-awaited fiscal sustainability debate. There are real challenges ...
Ross Greer
Green
I could not agree more with Mr Marra on his frustration with the failure to reform the council tax. Can he clarify Labour’s position on reforming the council...
Michael Marra
Lab
Over the past decade, the Labour Party has brought forward a range of measures to reform council tax, but we have not found willing partners in this chamber....
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Minister!
Michael Marra
Lab
Presiding Officer, given some of the cabinet secretary’s comments, you can understand why I am sceptical as to whether a shopping list of additional levies w...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
As normal, the Liberal Democrats will come forward with costed, reasonable proposals that will balance a growing economy with an interest in our constituenci...
Shona Robison
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Willie Rennie
LD
Not just now. When there is evidence that the majority of what is raised through a tax rise will be lost to behavioural change, there is no concern. No ques...
Ross Greer
Green
Will the member take an intervention?