Scottish Parliament – Sept. 10, 2025 – 1

S6M-18779.3: As an amendment to motion S6M-18779 in the name of Murdo Fraser (Improving Scotland’s Finances), leave out from “notes” to end and insert “that Scotland’s public services have been hampered by the UK Conservative administration’s austerity budgets;

recognises the deep harm that the UK Conservative administration has done to the economies of the UK and Scotland with Brexit, and that this has reduced Scotland’s public spending by £2.3 billion annually;

further recognises that this loss of public finances impacts on Scotland’s vital public services, including Scotland’s NHS, support for a just transition, and skills training;

notes that a public sector reform programme is underway with the aim of saving public money while protecting the delivery of frontline services;

believes that the UK Labour administration should either explore the application of wealth taxation or devolve the necessary powers to Scotland so that the Scottish Parliament can do so;

welcomes that the Scottish Government has already announced plans for a three-year spending review to be published alongside the upcoming Budget, and believes that it is only with the powers of independence and full control of the fiscal levers that a truly sustainable and fair system can be developed to support efficiency and public service delivery.

Original motion(S6M-18779): That the Parliament notes with deep concern the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s forecast of a £4.7 billion funding gap in 2029-30;

recognises that without the Union dividend of £2,578 per person there would be a substantial deficit, with Scotland’s 2024-25 net fiscal balancing standing at -£26.5 billion (-11.7% of GDP);

regrets that the Scottish Government continues to dismiss these realities and prioritise constitutional campaigning over sound financial management;

calls for urgent measures to restore credibility to Scotland’s finances, including a full multi-year spending review to identify priorities, savings, and reform needs, a strategy to cap welfare spending growth, which is currently consuming a significant amount of resource growth, and create jobs by moving more people into work through reskilling and apprenticeships, a focus on productivity and economic growth to broaden Scotland’s tax base by allowing businesses to thrive, and a robust public service reform and stronger Audit Scotland oversight to deliver better value;

believes that the Parliament must focus on NHS waiting times, education standards, and community safety rather than fiscal denialism, and resolves that Scotland’s future depends on fiscal discipline, growth, and accountable government within the United Kingdom.