The Scottish Conservatives have today set out key demands for the Scottish Budget, including more support for businesses, local government and Scotland’s NHS.
The party is seeking a £600 million package of support to protect Scottish jobs and businesses.
Ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Scottish Conservative finance spokeswoman Liz Smith has said the Budget must include a freeze on the poundage rate and a full year of 75% rates relief on leisure, hospitality, retail, aviation and newspaper businesses.
The party will also urge the SNP to rebuild public services post-Covid by properly funding local government and Scotland’s NHS.
Liz Smith added that extra funding from Rishi Sunak’s UK Budget should be passed on in full to Scotland’s crisis-hit NHS and councils, including the full £2.1 billion in UK health consequentials and £1.2 billion for local services
Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy, Liz Smith MSP, said: “The SNP must deliver a Budget that fully focuses on Scotland’s recovery from Covid.
“Scottish jobs, businesses and public services must be protected and supported through this difficult time.
“Above all else, this Budget must kickstart Scotland’s economic recovery and start rebuilding our public services.
“Our key demands for this Budget are fair funding for local services, the biggest Scottish NHS budget ever, and a £600 million stimulus package for jobs and businesses.
“These proposals would tackle the issues that matter most to working people across Scotland - our jobs, our health, and our communities.
“This Budget comes at a crucial time in Scotland’s recovery. It has to be all about the national interest, not the nationalist interest.”
Notes
Liz Smith met with Kate Forbes last week to discuss priorities for the Scottish Budget.
These key demands, alongside other Scottish Conservative Budget requests, will be included in a letter to Kate Forbes, which will be sent after the Budget announcement on Thursday and before the stage 1 debate.