The Scottish government has defended its plan to use its resource borrowing powers for the first time in order to manage volatility caused by a forecast error in this year’s budget.
The Scottish government has proposed no change to its existing five-band system of income tax in a draft budget which prioritised investment in public services and action to tackle climate change.
Auditors have raised concerns over value for money and lack of transparency in the Scottish government’s use of privately financed contracts to fund investment in public infrastructure.
The Scottish Government has been warned that years of cuts to council budgets will put its own targets on economic growth, climate change and child poverty at risk, as well as weakening pride in...
The Scottish Government faces two more years of budgetary strain despite the rhetoric over the end of austerity across the UK, according to an economic research unit.
Scotland will face acute labour shortages and a diminished tax base unless action is taken to prevent a decline in its working age population, independent experts have warned.
The local governance review has the potential to lead to the greatest centralisation of power in Scotland since devolution, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
An independent Scotland could become a bridge between the EU and the UK, and a “magnet for global investment”, first minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to tell the SNP’s annual conference this...
Kerry Lorimer meets Gail Macgregor, resources spokesperson for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, who has proved to be a doughty champion for local democracy and fiscal empowerment.
Scottish ministers have asked the Treasury to review the Scottish Government’s borrowing limits “as a matter of urgency” in the light of growing concerns over the volatility of tax receipts north of...
The Scottish Government has defended its decision to bail out private companies after it was criticised by auditors for having substantially reduced the value of £140m in loans and guarantees.
The Scottish Government’s borrowing powers are likely to come under increasing pressure due to the volatility inherent in the fiscal framework, MSPs have heard.
Ambiguity over the future of European structural funding post-Brexit has left economic development in Scotland, which benefits to the tune of €872m across the seven-year EU budget period, in an...
Scotland’s Auditor General and the Accounts Commission are embarking on a major audit of the country’s early learning and childcare system to understand the impact of expanding services.
The mishandling of a high-profile IT project has left Scotland’s public sector pensions body facing a budget gap of up to £23m over the next five years.
Scottish councils have defended their use of funds set aside for emergencies to pay for essential services after new figures showed general fund reserves would dip below £1bn next year.
The Scottish Government is facing a budgetary shortfall of £1bn over the next three years in the wake of updated forecasts, which more accurately reflect income tax receipts north and south of the...
