Austerity

The Chancellor faces a difficult battle to rebuild the economy

Spring Statement risks Scottish Budget hit and forcing SNP tax review

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves attending the Make UK Conference at the QEII Centre in London. Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

Welfare cuts expected in Spring Statement spark fears for services

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves

SNP accuse Chancellor of ‘economic chaos’ despite surprise GDP growth

Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill

'Removed from reality': Labour claims it has ended austerity

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

Exclusive Anas Sarwar admits UK Labour denting his Bute House ambitions

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes

Exclusive Rachel Reeves does not have a mandate for austerity, says Forbes

First Minister John Swinney has enjoyed a poll resurgence

John Swinney is 'uniting Scots', says SNP as lead grows over Labour

Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss attends the 'Popular Conservatives' conference, presumably unaware of the irony

Liz Truss legal letter is tone deaf and beyond embarrassing Alexander Brown

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar promised a new direction for Scotland

Scottish leaders' New Year messages and their promises for 2025

Austerity policies linked to increased rates of low birthweight babies

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street, London, with her ministerial red box before delivering her Budget in the Houses of Parliament.

Rachel Reeves announces biggest tax rise since 1993

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street, London, with her ministerial red box before delivering her Budget in the Houses of Parliament

We knew it wasn't going to be cheery, but Budget was all about blame

The 12 key UK Budget announcements for Scotland and what they mean

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

Analysis Anas Sarwar may 'relish' 2026 vote but Budget could pave rocky road

‘Budget’ itself, for instance, is from the Old French bougette, a diminutive form of an older word bouge ‘a leather bag’, itself a borrowing of the Latin bulga ‘bag’ or ‘knapsack’ in which the Roman soldiers carried their meagre provisions as they marched off to conquer distant lands.

A Roman knapsack, salt and sour wine: The origins of Budget-speak Alexander Tulloch

Rachel Reeves and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Budget: Labour to 'end austerity' amid fears SNP will waste extra cash

Shadow Scotland Minister Michael Shanks. Picture: Lisa Ferguson/National World.

Labour: Holyrood set for spending boost despite £40bn Budget gap

Chancellor Rachel Reeves' colleagues in the Treasury may like the savings made by means-testing winter fuel payments for pensioners, but the policy could end up costing the government more than it saves (Picture: Oli Scarff)

Chancellor ushering in new age of austerity just when UK must invest Stewart McDonald

The changes will come into effect for the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections

Exclusive SNP's free tuition and baby boxes amid £500m spending cuts 'maddening'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer with the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. PIC: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Keir Starmer's speech - 'false hope', taxes and politics 'exhaustion'

Larry the cat has long been a fixture at the Prime Minister's official office

I’ve met Larry the Downing Street cat - and he ignored me Alexander Brown

Striking college lecturers protest outside the Scottish Parliament. Image: Lisa Ferguson

Why a Labour victory will not fix Scotland's cash-starved services Calum Ross

The Scottish Government is set to announce a housing emergency. Image: Victoria Jones/Press Association.

Scottish Government to declare a housing emergency - but what changes?

Andrew Henderson, Director of Public Policy at Pinsent Masons

Business must be heard in a deafening political year - Andrew Henderson

Analysis How has NHS Scotland run up a £395m deficit?

Trump's hometown provides a dystopian vision of the UK's future Kenny MacAskill

The UK Government must not be tempted by calls for the kind of tax cuts Liz Truss sought to introduce (Picture: Jacob King/PA)

Why high taxes are good for the economy – John McLaren

Jeremy Hunt will reveal the budget around lunchtime.

Autumn statement 2022: Jeremy Hunt set to reveal autumn budget

Firefighters and supporters descend on the Scottish Parliament to promote the union's campaign for Fair Pay, an end to cuts and increased staffing. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Why the Scottish Government's offer to firefighters is so 'insulting'

Keir Starmer and other politicians on the left need to find a clearer vision of our post-Covid future (Picture: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/PA)

After Covid, we must resist a new Age of Austerity – Joyce McMillan

Chancellor Rishi Sunak outside 11 Downing Street, London, before heading to the House of Commons to deliver his Budget. (Picture: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

SNP must play straight on UK Budget bonanza – Brian Wilson

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay insisted Scotland can longer afford to be part of the "failing" the UK. Picture: John Devlin

Derek Mackay: UK is 'failing' and Scotland can't afford to be part of it

Gordon Brown will claim the UK is already torn apart by Brexit, divisive nationalisms, a north-south divide. Pictures: AFP/PA

Gordon Brown: UK is torn apart by Brexit and divisive nationalism

Hang on a minute! Kissing, at the office party? Surely not (Picture: Cate Gillon)

A Christmas party for staff? Forget it! – Bill Jamieson

Rev Prof David Fergusson delivers the report on proposed changes to the Kirks organisation. Picture: Andy O'Brien

Austerity-hit Kirk care sector to reduce counselling services

Child poverty is forecast to see a rise of 80,000 by 2022. Picture: John Devlin

Austerity will push a further 80,000 Scots children into poverty, warns report

The City of London wields too much power and influence at the expense of other parts of the UK (Picture: Steve Finn/Getty Images)

Richard Leonard: Power must be transferred to the people after Brexit

Deprivation is a key factor in life expectancy. Picture: John Devlin

Austerity and flu outbreaks blamed for ‘worrying’ life expectancy statistics

Glasgow suffers biggest local government spending cuts in Scotland

Fife Curnie Club initiative is about ot expand.

Fife charity offering way back from life of isolation

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley. Picture: BBC

Question Time: Watch audience gasp as Conservative MP says austerity was not a c...

Chancellor Philip Hammond holding his red ministerial box outside 11 Downing Street before heading to the House of Commons to deliver his Budget. (Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Budget 2018: Austerity's end depends on a Brexit deal '“ leader comment
The Chancellor says the UK economy will get a double '˜deal dividend' if the Government reaches an agreement over Brexit with the EU.

Philip Hammond revealed the contents of his Budget box. Picture: Getty

Budget 2018: Chancellor Philip Hammond claims '˜austerity has come to an end'

Is Philip Hammond about to fulfil Theresa Mays pledge about the end of austerity in Britain? (Picture: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty)

Christine Jardine: Budget will test Theresa May's '˜end of austerity' pledge

Chancellor Philip Hammond has appealed for a soft Brexit. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty

Bill Jamieson: Bugbear '˜austerity' won't go away that easily

Richard Leonard blames cuts as Scots’ life expectancy stops improving

The Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard, will say in a speech today that independence would deliver the 'austerity economics of nationalism' to the country

Labour '˜only anti-austerity party' after Growth Commission report

Prime Minster Theresa May at the final day of the European Council leaders summit in Brussels. Relations with the EU are still of pivotal importance. Picture: Jack Taylor/Getty

Bill Jamieson: Don't cast a clout till May's Brexit is out

Children with additional support needs should be taught in mainstream schools

Leader comment: Scotland must not fail its most vulnerable children

Peter Hannah, Deka Walmsley and Kaja Pecnik in Cockpit at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh PIC: Mihaela Bodlovic

Arts review of 2017: Joyce McMillan on the year in theatre

The housing market has failed to deliver the homes that Scotland needs

Cliff Hague: Why not aim for a '˜world-class' planning system?

Latest figures show that there are more than 400 unfilled consultant posts in Scotland. Picture: John Devlin/TSPL

Peter Bennie: Austerity and ageing population straining NHS

Prime Minister Theresa May on a visit to Smithfield Market in the City of London on the final day of campaigning for Thursday's General Election. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May battle to the last with final pleas for voter supp...

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: John Devlin

SNP education record comes under fire on BBC Leader's Q&A

PIC PHIL WILKINSON.TSPL / JOHNSTON PRESS

JANET CHRISTIE , MAGAZINE WRITER

When will the young earn more than experience?

John Swinney has been tasked with sorting out Scottish education but reports continue to underline how far standards have fallen.

Leader comment: Time running out to sort out education

The Scotsman Top Stories

Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Fail: Scotland misses climate target

Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Yousaf: Growing popular support for Yes the only way to Scottish independence

Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries