Meeting of the Parliament 04 June 2026 [Draft]
I am conscious that the Minister for Public Finance, Hannah Mary Goodlad, will give her first speech in closing the debate. Hannah Mary’s victory in Shetland was one of the biggest highlights in the Scottish National Party’s recent election victory. Colleagues will have observed, as I did, her energetic approach to winning round the folk of Shetland. Ms Goodlad has secured her seat at the table. I know that I speak on behalf of the whole SNP group when I say how delighted we all are to have her with us.
At the heart of the motion is a simple but important principle: taxation plays a vital role in funding our public services. The Scottish Government believes strongly that the way in which we use our tax powers must be fair, progressive and sustainable. Put simply, the cut that the Government takes from every pound that our citizens earn should be about making our society better for everyone.
Context matters, of course. The Scottish Government’s finances do not exist in a silo, insulated from events elsewhere. Whether it be Brexit, the illegal war in Ukraine, inflationary shocks, Westminster austerity or the recent conflict in the middle east, we operate against a backdrop of prolonged economic turmoil. All those factors have placed enormous pressures on public and household finances in recent years. However, despite the financial challenges, the Scottish Government has been able to deliver for our people, as the election results in May confirmed.
A key theme in the election campaign, which cut across most parties manifestos, was how we all proposed to alleviate the cost of living crisis. Across Scotland, the people we all represent are finding it really tough. The food shop is up, gas and electricity bills are up and rent or mortgage payments are up again as inflation remains too high. Regardless of party, our collective priority as a Parliament should be about making a difference to improve the lives of the people we all represent. We are not much divided in this Parliament on that aspiration.
The Scottish Government believes that the people who earn the most have the broadest shoulders and should be expected to make a fair contribution to support the running of public services. That means that we have been able to raise an extra £1.8 billion to support our public services.