Austerity

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, right, and Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey during a visit to a pub in Harlow, Essex

Is Britain heading for a 1970s-style debt crisis? Paul Wilson

Michael Marra MSP

'Labour will rediscover its soul' under my leadership, says Marra

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth

Swinney's new deputy denies benefits spending is 'too high'

Simon Burton (left) and Frank To

Mentorship of arts graduates a lifeline for contemporary artists

Finance Secretary Shona Robison

SNP may need to slash public spending due to UK Budget 'hard choices'

Activists against disability benefit cuts during a protest over the proposals earlier this month. Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images

Scottish Labour MP lays into Starmer's benefits 'race to the bottom'

Evri is hiring 5,000 courier roles.

Evri to hire 5,000 couriers and Tesco profits warning amid store wars

Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Rachel Reeves told to abandon 'austerity' cuts in spending review

Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill urged the Scottish Government to do more

UK minister slams SNP Government over lack of skills for young people

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves was in Washington DC this week where she discussed a trade deal

Exclusive Swinney must fund green industrial strategy, think-tank urges

Chancellor Rachel Reeves takes questions from the media after delivering her Spring Statement to MPs (Picture: Ben Stansall)

Chancellor's cruel Spring Statement a continuation of Tory austerity Stephen Gethins

SNP Finance Secretary Shona Robison claimed Scotland would suffer due to the Spring Statement

SNP will do 'everything' to avoid replicating UK welfare cuts

Explainer What the Chancellor's Spring Statement means for Scotland

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney

John Swinney warns UK cuts poised to be 'damaging' for Scotland's NHS

Rachel Reeves has announced Civil Service cuts.

Business in under two minutes: 50,000 Civil Service jobs under threat

Aberdeen

Exclusive GB Energy can turn Scottish Labour’s polling around - minister

Shirley-Anne Somerville and Liz Kendall

Benefit reforms may have 'severe' impact on Scottish budget, warns SNP

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

'This is not austerity': Sarwar defends cutting billions in benefits

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Why Labour cuts to disability benefits are ‘completely unpalatable’

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

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

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