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Scottish Government must be prepared to stretch devolution to limit in next budget

The forthcoming budget must work for people and planet.

The Scottish Greens will put forward a motion for debate in Parliament on Wednesday which challenges the SNP to use the powers at their disposal in the upcoming budget to protect Scotland from Westminster cuts and to address the nation's social, economic and environmental problems.

The motion, from Scottish Green finance spokesperson Ross Greer MSP, will call for the Scottish Government to explore all avenues to fiscal sustainability, including further use of existing tax powers, reviewing tax reliefs and other subsidies for big business, new powers for councils such as the proposed levy on polluting cruise ships and to ensure that spending doesn’t go towards programmes which undermine the core missions of tackling child poverty and the climate emergency.

Mr Greer said: “Scotland’s public finances are in a dire state, largely due to years of cuts from Westminster. The Scottish Government isn't powerless though. Even with the limited powers of devolution we must do everything we can to protect people and planet.

“The Scottish Greens have worked with the SNP before to deliver progressive budgets. For example, £1.5 billion pounds of extra money goes into services like the NHS every year as a result of Green tax policies. We are ready to cooperate again, if the SNP will join us in taking the bold decisions needed to tackle child poverty and the climate crisis. Pointing to the good work done before and blaming Westminster for the current mess, however true, just won’t cut it.

“We have shown how much good the Scottish Parliament can do when it makes brave choices. Just look at the impact of Green policies like free bus travel for young people or scrapping all school meal debt. And yes, we asked those on higher incomes and second home owners to pay a bit more, allowing us to do this despite savage budget cuts at Westminster.

“In the last few months, the SNP has chosen to reintroduce peak rail fares previously removed by the Greens, cut funding for nature projects and drop the commitment to free school meals for all P6 and P7 pupils. They claimed to have no choice, but that’s just not true. Millions of pounds a year still goes towards tax breaks for big businesses and wealthy landowners and to climate-wrecking road expansion projects.

“If the government are prepared to make different choices, ones which better protect people and planet, then the Greens are ready to work with them on a budget which builds the fairer, greener Scotland we know is still possible.”