Meeting of the Parliament 25 February 2026 [Draft]
The budget is about delivering for the people of Scotland. That is what we have all been sent here to do. The budget will address their priorities of bringing down NHS waiting lists, supporting families, reducing child poverty and growing the economy. Quite remarkably, the budget will do all that while delivering lower taxes for ordinary folk, with 55 per cent of Scots paying less tax in the next financial year in Scotland than they would pay if they lived elsewhere in the rest of the UK under Labour.
Since last year, the NHS has turned a corner, with the longest waits down for a number of months in a row and hip and knee operations at a record level. However, now is the time to work harder. The budget does not just increase NHS funding in line with inflation—it delivers an inflation-busting real-terms uplift of 1.8 per cent, There is over £17.6 billion for NHS boards, and that is only the funding for hospitals. The budget also delivers another £2.4 billion for primary care, including £531 million to recruit more GPs. On top of that, there is a further £36 million for new walk-in GP services, including one in Aberdeen, which will open in May and is being applauded by my constituents.
It does not stop there. The budget delivers the support that families struggling with the cost of living need. The SNP will not follow the UK example and force people on the minimum wage to pay more tax. Rather, the budget delivers an increase in both the basic rate and intermediate rate income tax bands. That means better public services and lower taxes under the SNP.
It goes on. The budget includes the baby box, which ensures that every Scottish baby, regardless of background, has the very best start in life. The 1,140 hours of free, high-quality early learning and childcare is worth around £6,000 to families. There is £14.4 million for healthy snacks for every child in day care, and an additional £15 million for breakfast clubs. On top of that, the budget provides for 250,000 free school meals each and every day, including for all pupils from primary 1 to primary 5, with a further 9 million meals for eligible families during school holidays, because some families require that extra support. That is why we are increasing the Scottish child payment to £28.20 per week, as well as providing a further £50 million for whole-family support.
It does not stop there. Prescriptions remain free under the SNP; they are £10 each in England. Eye tests remain free under the SNP; they are £35 in England. University tuition remains free under the SNP; it is £10,000 a year of debt in England. However, not all young people will go to university. That is why the budget will increase funding for Scotland’s colleges by 10 per cent, in addition to supporting 25,000 modern apprenticeships and 5,000 foundation apprenticeships.
All of that requires a growing economy, and the budget delivers for business and the economy. The budget will save £870 million by reducing rates, taking 100,000 small businesses out of rates altogether with the small business bonus scheme. There is also the provision of 15 per cent relief for retail, hospitality and leisure premises. To grow the economy, the SNP Government is providing £326 million for the enterprise agencies, £200 million for the Scottish National Investment Bank, £45 million to drive innovation and enterprise, £2.5 million for young entrepreneurs and a £90 million boost for skills development. In addition, the Government is providing £47 million to strengthen local economies and £215 million for regional improvement. It is investing a total of £7.6 billion in capital projects across Scotland. It is because of such support that the Scottish economy grew faster last year than that of the rest of the UK.
I am particularly pleased to see the £5.53 million investment in the investing in communities fund, which has been a real benefit to places right across Scotland, and in particular to my Aberdeen constituents, through support for Community Food Initiatives North East, Aberdeen Foyer and the Station House Media Unit. I thank the cabinet secretary for that resource.