Our mission to tackle inequality
Last week, the Scottish Budget for 2024/25 was passed in Holyrood.
There is no denying the budget-setting process has been challenging with the Scottish Government having to make difficult choices.
However, in making these decisions, the SNP’s priority has remained protecting public services.
This has been done in the face of the UK Government cutting Scotland’s budget – our block grant has fallen by 1.2 per cent in real terms since 2022-23.
But the SNP Scottish Government refuses to follow UK Government spending decisions.
Instead, we are doing all we can to mitigate them, as well as targeting resources at those most in need to support them through the cost-of-living crisis.
As part of our national mission to tackle inequality, £6.3 billion is being committed to social security benefits and payments, which is just over £1bn more than last year.
This will enable disabled people to live full and independent lives, support older people to heat their homes in winter, and help families with their living costs.
We have already seen the impact of SNP policies, with new analysis showing that they will lift 100,000 children out of relative poverty and 70,000 children out of absolute poverty in 2024/25.
It is estimated that without these policies, child poverty rates would be up by at least 10 percentage points, highlighting why this investment is so vital.
In addition to this, the SNP’s Budget is also:
Helping households through the cost-of-living crisis by keeping money in working people’s pockets through a fully-funded council tax freeze – combined with the other support being provided to local government, this will increase their overall funding by six per cent since the last budget ;
Giving our NHS the protection of an uplift above real terms in the face of UK Government austerity by investing over half-a-billion in our frontline boards – taking total investment to £13.2bn in the year ahead;
Funding the £12 per hour real Living Wage for adult and children’s social care and early learning and childcare workers in the private, voluntary and independent sectors who deliver funded provision;
Investing £1.55bn in policing, increasing the Scottish Police Authority resource budget by 5.6 per cent – providing an additional £75.7 million to support frontline service delivery and;
Maintaining our commitment to invest £1bn over the course of this parliament to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap, with £200m to be distributed in 2024 25 – providing vital long-term targeted investment to improve outcomes for children and young people and help break the cycle of poverty.
In the shadow of 14 years of Westminster austerity, this budget has been about choices, and during these tough times, we are protecting the vulnerable, investing in public services and growing our economy.
It is clear that the SNP will always do its best with the limited powers that we have but they are simply no substitute for independence.
Three new people have joined Paisley’s JR Group to help continue the growth of the company across the UK.
The construction firm has appointed three new members of the team across various roles within the business including site management and health and safety.
George Bunch joins the team as a new health, safety, environment and quality advisor and both David Crosbie and Robbie Drummond as site managers.
All three will assist the group to deliver key building developments across the country.
David will oversee the business’construction of social housing in Hawick, Scottish Borders, while Robbie will drive forward the The JR Group’s Croftamie development in rural Stirlingshire.
George will work across a number of sites to monitor health and safety compliance.
Gary McGregor, managing director of JR Group said:“We have seen some fantastic, continued growth recently and through the appointment of George, Robbie and David, we’re hugely excited to see our business continue to build from strength to strength with their extensive level of experience that sits between them.
“As examples of some of the best in the business, it is great to welcome all of these fantastic new additions to The JR Group and we look forward to seeing what they bring to the team.”
The JR Group started as a scaffolding business and has grown to become one of Scotland’s largest building and construction firms – employing around 200 staff.