'Many people, households and businesses are suffering real hardship due to the spiralling costs of basic essentials' | NicolaSturgeon ✍️
To say that these tax and spending proposals are being delivered in a tough economic context would be a massive understatement – without doubt, these are the most turbulent fiscal and economic times that most of us can remember.
In addition, we face severe constraints in the public finances which pose challenges for the funding of public services. So, it is against this harsh reality that the Scottish Government had to make its budget choices. The extra revenue from our tax policies will help us protect the NHS – which we all rely on – with an additional £1 billion in funding next year.
In total, £20 million is also being provided to extend the Fuel Insecurity Fund into next year – money which will provide a lifeline for thousands of households, and protect those most vulnerable to rising energy prices.
The Scottish Government will always use our limited powers to the maximum extent in order to meet the challenges people are facing in the here and now – but only with the full powers of a normal independent country can we use all of our available resources to meet the priorities of the Scottish people, instead of having to repeatedly divert funding into policies that aim to mitigate the harmful impact of UK Government policy decisions.
Finally, I know that many of us – especially after the past two difficult Christmas periods – will be really looking forward to spending time with family, friends and loved ones over this festive period.
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