Greens act to improve budget for Scotland
The Scottish Budget will deliver on key green priorities to tackle the climate emergency and rising child poverty levels.
An improved budget is expected to pass its first parliamentary vote today, providing billions to tackle the climate emergency, doubling of the Scottish Child payment, the biggest increase in funding for teacher recruitment since 2007 and the first full year of free bus travel for young people.
A further £120m has been added to the cash settlement for councils due to a very recent revision in consequentials, further safeguarding local services. The total settlement provided to councils for the provisions of local services will now rise by over a billion pounds.
Commenting, Scottish Greens finance spokesperson Ross Greer said: “Despite the backdrop of a billion-pound cut from the UK Government, the Scottish budget has delivered on our key Green priorities of tackling child poverty and the climate emergency.
“We have also secured the biggest increase in funding for teacher recruitment since 2007 and of course the doubling of the Scottish Child Payment. That’s the difference Greens are making in government.
“This budget funds the first full year of free bus travel for young people, which begins this coming Monday. And today we have also been able to agree to increase funding for councils, which will see an extra £120m funding for local services on top of what was previously committed, increasing their overall budget by more than a billion pounds.
“Every year Labour and the Conservatives resort to making uncosted demands on a fixed budget without suggesting where the money should be cut from or which taxes should be raised. It’s clear the constructive approach adopted by the Scottish Greens, one which delivers tangible results for the public, is the one increasingly preferred by voters.”