West Lothian politicians have given their reaction to the Scottish Government’s annual Budget proposals.
The government said last week it had struck deals with both the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party to secure their backing ahead of the final vote, due to take place next month.
As a result of the deal with the Greens, the government has announced plans to expand free school meals to pupils in the first three years of secondary school who are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, as well as a regional pilot for a £2 cap on bus fares.
While the Scottish Lib Dems secured increased investment for drugs services and hospices.
The deals will cost £16.7 million, the Government said.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “We are determined to deliver on the issues that matter most to the people of Scotland – and that is why this Budget invests in public services and in eradicating child poverty, acts in the face of the climate emergency, and supports jobs.
“The First Minister was clear that we would bring forward a Budget by Scotland for Scotland, and the negotiations we have taken forward have been in that spirit.
“These additional initiatives demonstrate the value of a progressive approach and dialogue.”
Ms Robison praised both parties for their “positive and constructive” engagement.
Ms Robison’s Scottish Government colleague, and Linlithgow MSP, Fiona Hyslop said: “This Scottish Government Budget prioritises supporting families and children across West Lothian.
“The commitments made in this Budget make clear that the Scottish Government are committed to eradicating poverty in Scotland and are taking steps to achieve this.
“This Scottish Budget will provide record levels of NHS funding, the universal Winter Fuel Payment for our pensioners, and take steps to replace benefits for 15,000 children keeping them out of poverty after the UK Government’s Two Child Cap limit.
“This is a Budget that makes sense for people in my Constituency and across Scotland, investing an additional £2bn for the NHS and supporting families with the cost of living, and I am pleased to see that an agreement has been reached with the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Scottish Green Party to support the 2025-26 Scottish Budget.
“This Scottish Budget will see the largest ever funding commitment for Scotland’s cultural sector with over £200 million being provided to 251 organisations over the next three years.
“The investment makes the Scottish Government’s commitment to the arts clear, reinforcing Scotland’s status as a global cultural leader, and also delivering economic benefits by supporting jobs, freelancers and creative workers across West Lothian.
“In West Lothian we value our culture sector and I am pleased to see local organisation, Fire Fly Arts Ltd being one of the 251 organisations being supported by this funding increase.”
Lothians Greens MSP Lorna Slater is pleased her party were able to contribute to the Budget process.
She said: “The Scottish Greens put tackling child poverty, climate action and funding for local services like schools and libraries at the heart of our budget negotiations. We have delivered progress on all of these fronts.
“No young person should be sitting in school hungry. As a result of our work, thousands more pupils in S1-S3 will now receive a free school meal. This builds on the expansion of universal free school meals to P4 and P5 already secured by the Scottish Greens.
“It also takes us another step closer to our goal of every young person in West Lothian and across Scotland getting a free school meal.
“Together, these changes secured by Scottish Green MSPs will lift more children out of poverty, reduce the cost of public transport, create good quality jobs, tackle the climate crisis and protect local services.”
However, opposition parties were quick to pour scorn on the Scottish Government’s proposals.
Lothians Conservative MSP Sue Webber said: “Only the Scottish Conservatives are now standing against this dire SNP budget which is dire for workers and businesses in West Lothian.
“John Swinney claims this Budget is a turning point while seemingly failing to accept he’s been in power for 18 years at the heart of the SNP government.
“His economic incompetence means local people are saddled with the highest taxes in the UK but seeing a decline in the public services they rely on.
“It is deeply disappointing that Holyrood’s other so-called opposition parties have rolled over to allow yet another bad SNP budget pass.”
Livingston Labour MP Gregor Poynton added: “This is not a budget that invests in the future of the Livingston constituency or of Scotland.
“The Scottish Government budget provides no leadership and has no vision for Scotland. Instead of setting the new direction West Lothian and Scotland needs, the SNP has lost its way.
“At a time when one in six Scots are on an NHS waiting list, patients deserve better than a promise that they will eventually only have to wait a year for treatment.
“The only reason that any of these measures are possible is because of the Chancellor delivered the largest settlement for the Scottish Government in the history of devolution, with an additional £1.5 billion to spend in this financial year, and an additional £3.4 billion in the next, a total of £47.7 billion for Scotland’s budget in 2025-26, the biggest financial settlement in the history of devolution.”
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