This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter.

When I’ve thought of budgets in the past, I’ve thought of dull men in dull suits obsessed with using phrases such as “fiscal drag” and overcomplicating things to seem smart. 

Now, we have the first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer (it’s only taken 800 years) and politicians like Rishi Sunak, in his last appearance on the front bench, using phrases such as “fiscal fiddling” to criticise the government changing public finance rules in order to borrow more. 

But, in all seriousness, a budget can decide whether or not a person goes without heating or eating or is made homeless. Put simply, a budget is all about how the state decides where all the money goes and how we create more. It’s important for all of us to sit up, listen and prepare for the news. 

Without getting on my soapbox too much about the need to improve access to political discourse and decisions, let's take a look at Scotland and what it reaps from the budget. 

£3.4 billion. Use it wisely. This was the message and, more importantly, the money from the UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves to First Minister John Swinney and his finance secretary Shona Robison as she delivered the UK budget in the House of Commons today. 

Ms Reeves said this block grant money would provide the devolved governments with “the largest real terms funding settlement since devolution”, adding that the funding “must now be used effectively in Scotland to deliver the public services that the people of Scotland deserve.”

It’s not just the Barnett consequentials the Chancellor has delivered for Scotland. Some headline announcements affecting  Scotland were: minimum wage for workers rising by 6.7%, a hike in employers’ national insurance contributions, energy profits levy rising and capital gains increasing. 

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There were also some positives in the budget for Scotland and the rest of the country we weren’t expecting either such as the freeze on fuel duty, meaning there will be no hike in what people pay at the petrol pump.

The Scottish Government has said the budget is "a step in the right direction" and has welcomed additional funding for public service. However, the finance secretary said it still leaves "enormous cost pressures going forwards.", as she said the additional funding for this financial year has already been factored into spending plans. 

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But it is now time for the Scottish Government to replace criticism with working out what they need to do with the money.

Shona Robison will have until December 4 - when the Scottish Government budget is due - to allocate that and consider other sources of revenue so she can lay out her financial plan. As a minority administration, the Scottish Government must win over support from opposition parties to pass its budget. If they do not, an early election could be called and the Scottish Government certainly don't want that. 

So, Ms Robison, from one woman to another, the ball is now in your court.