‘Any additional funding for the NHS is extremely welcome at this stage’
Retired scientific officer Michael Baird, 70, said Mr Mackay’s budget announcement did very little for pensioners, though acknowledged extra funding for Scotland’s health service would make a difference.
Mr Baird, who lives with his brother in Bonar Bridge, Sutherland, said: “I don’t feel it has done an awful lot for me as a pensioner but we will have to see how some of the minor details stack up.
“I think any money for the NHS is obviously a very positive point.
“We have all heard the stories about operations being cancelled because our hospitals quite simply do not have the staff, so hopefully that extra funding can help get the service back on its feet. I would say any additional funding for the NHS is very welcome at this point given the pressure it is under.”
Mr Baird added he felt the budget announcement was “overshadowed” by the unfolding Brexit saga at Westminster, but admitted the tax increase for Scotland’s higher-earners could be a “difficult issue”. He said: “I can see the increased amount of tax for middle earners being a contentious point, I think that will happen with any tax increase.
“I think that will be the biggest thing to take away from this budget announcement, especially with everything going on in the background.
“As a whole, the budget has been slightly overshadowed by the chaos that is happening at Westminster and has felt that the uncertainty that is being felt by a lot of people across the country has slightly confused the issue a little bit.”
Mr Baird added: “It remains to be seen what the outcome of the vote of confidence on Wednesday night will be. Time will tell whether this budget will have a real impact or not.”