Labour prepared to fight election instead of 'bad budget'

As the SNP leads a minority administration, the Scottish Government needs at least one other political party to back the budget, with crucial talks set to conclude before Finance Secretary Shona Robison addresses Parliament.

Mr Swinney told journalists the upcoming budget will contain proposals advocated by other political parties.

But Scottish Labour’s finance spokesman Michael Marra has warned there must be a “genuine change in direction” delivered.

He said: “Scottish Labour will fight an election before backing a bad budget and subjecting Scots to another year of SNP misery.”

“This budget is an opportunity to turn the page on 17 years of SNP failure – anything else will not do,” Mr Marra said.

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“Every single institution in Scotland has been left weaker by SNP mismanagement and waste.”

He said the SNP has “no plans” to fix the “mess” in the NHS or in the education system.

“More of the same will not cut it – Labour has delivered record levels of funding for Scotland and the SNP must use it to deliver a genuine change in direction,” he added.

Mr Marra argued that a record £3.4 billion had been allocated to the Scottish Government through Barnett consequentials from Westminster.

Meanwhile, Craig Hoy, finance spokesman for the Tories said the era of high tax and free spending should come to an end.

The Scottish Tories have suggested reducing income tax by £222 for the average worker, with the 19p rate applying to £43,622.

Mr Hoy said: “The Scottish budget is a chance for the SNP to set a new direction on tax and spend to deliver growth in the economy.

“For 17 years, the Nationalists have failed Scotland by making people pay more and get less. Bills have increased will hundreds of millions have been wated and public services have declined sharply.

“The SNP’s era of high tax, free spending must come to an end. It’s time for a common sense budget that helps workers and businesses, not another left-wing deal that hammers households.”

A budget deal is most likely to be made with the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Liberal Democrats – however their asks on independence are contradictory.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have said they will not do a deal with the SNP if there is any money in the budget for independence.

But independence spending is one of the core asks from the Scottish Greens, alongside the introduction of a £2 bus fare cap, climate investment and the expansion of free school meals to pupils in P6 and P7.

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Ross Greer, the party’s finance spokesman, said: “The First Minister has a clear choice to make.

“Will he work with the Scottish Greens to deliver a progressive budget that delivers for people and planet, or will his government move further to the right and cave-in to the Liberals’ anti-democratic demand that the Scottish Government no longer even talk about independence.”

He added: “If the First Minister is prepared to be brave and bold, the Scottish Greens are prepared to work with him to agree a budget which will protect people and planet.”

Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, has said his party is still "some considerable distance" from doing a deal with the SNP.

He said Mr Swinney's party would have to "move some mountains" to get Lib Dem votes for the budget.

“It is fair to say there is still some considerable distance to travel and they are going to have to pull out all the stops to persuade us," he said.

The Lib Dems want improvements to council funding, along with cash to improve access to local health care.

The First Minister is understood to be meeting other parties for final talks ahead of the budget being published on Wednesday afternoon.

During a visit to Vintage Vibes charity in Newhaven, Edinburgh, on Tuesday, he was asked by journalists if he would call the bluff of opposition parties by seeking an earl election if his budget plans are blocked.

He described the budget as a “product of an extensive amount of dialogue and discussion with all political parties.”

“I hope those proposals will be welcomed with good faith by other political parties and that we do what we’ve got to do within the Scottish Parliament, which is to work together to secure a budget that can meet the needs of the people of Scotland,” he said.