GOOD FOR EVERYONE

THIS is a good Budget for Scotland. It will deliver a £350million funding boost for the Scottish Government.

On top of an extra £800million announced last Autumn, ministers in Edinburgh will have over £1billion more to spend than they expected.

The new money is Scotland’s share of significant investment in social care, skills, schools and health in England.

It is up to the Scottish Government how to use the funds.

Ministers in Edinburgh will have difficult choices to make – but they will have no excuses if we fail to see the improvements that Scots demand.

Indeed, yesterday’s UK Budget follows a historic Scottish Budget last month, when MSPs exercised new powers to set income tax rates and raise money as well as spend it.

The Budget also brought good news for the oil and gas sector with an expert panel who will look at how to get the most out of the oil we have.

And we showed our commitment to City Deals which will transform each of Scotland’s seven cities.

The UK Government are focused on building a country that works for everyone. So families with under-12s will get tax-free childcare; fuel duty will be frozen and there will be a rise in the living and national wages.

With 113,000 Scots also taken out of income tax altogether, it is a Budget that Scots should welcome.