John Swinney on the prospect of a snap Scottish election, his future and his father's political stance

The First Minister has warned there is no “hiding place” and hospitals and schools will go without money if his Government cannot pass its Budget.

The tax and spending plans will go before MSPs in December, before moving to a final vote early next year.

It comes as a leading Scottish economist said warnings from Chancellor Rachel Reeves about “difficult decisions” ahead of this month’s UK Budget - which will ultimately dictate how much money the Scottish Government has to work with - could “dent” confidence for both businesses and consumers.

Professor Mairi Spowage, director of the Fraser Of Allander Institute think-tank at the University of Strathclyde, said such “rhetoric” had the “potential to dent business and consumer confidence” and could make worse the “softening economic performance” experienced over the summer.

The body’s new report found economic growth in Scotland for May and June had been “close to zero”, followed by a modest 0.3 per cent rise in July.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Mr Swinney, who leads a minority administration, was asked if failing to get his Budget through the Scottish Parliament would trigger an election.

He replied: “It depends on the actions of other political parties. We'll put forward a Budget that will be sustainable ... we’ll engage in a dialogue because we don't have a parliamentary majority.

“But that puts as much emphasis on other political parties and what they're prepared to support, because I don't think the public in Scotland want to go to any extra election than they’re scheduled to have.”

Asked if this message was aimed at the Greens, who previously had a power-sharing agreement with the SNP, Mr Swinney said: “I think it's a message to everybody.

“There's no hiding place for any political party. If we don't have a budget in place on the 1st of April, hospitals can't get the budget, schools can't get the budgets, benefits can't be paid, all sorts of things like that. So all these things follow that will come from a budget that doesn't pass.”

Mr Swinney needs the support of two opposition MSPs, or for three to abstain, if he is to get his spending plans through Holyrood.

Elsewhere, the First Minister said he was “here for the long haul” and would not stand down before the Holyrood election in 2026.

He said: “There'll be a time at some stage in the future when I step down. But it's not any time soon and it's certainly not before the 2026 Holyrood the elections.”

Mr Swinney also revealed he does not know how his father votes, or whether he supports independence.

He said: “He’s been absolutely steadfast throughout his life of basically saying to me 'I'm not telling you how I'm voting' … we talk about politics - he's fascinated by what I'm doing - but it's still a secret. And no matter how much probing I give him, he's just not for telling.”

The First Minister previously told journalists “there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge” before Budget negotiations begin, adding that he would “engage constructively across the board within parliament”.

Last month, the Greens warned there should be “no assumptions on the part of the SNP that we would be willing to support a Budget”.

Co-leader Lorna Slater said: “Who are they expecting to support the Budget? Because I can’t believe they think they can cut core Green things and then come to use and ask for our votes and support in the budget - that seems unreasonable. I’m really unclear who they think is going to support it.”

The Scottish Government has already unveiled spending cuts of up to £500m in September to support its Budget, including the decision to reintroduce peak ScotRail fares, axe universal winter fuel payments for pensioners, and scrap a free bus travel scheme for asylum seekers.