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Scotland Unveils Pre‑Election Budget With Record NHS Funding, Targeted Tax Cuts and New Wealth Levies

Labour's planned abstention leaves the minority SNP on course to pass the 2026‑27 draft budget.

Overview

  • Finance Secretary Shona Robison set out £22.5bn for health and social care, including a record £17.6bn for NHS boards and £36m to expand walk‑in GP clinics.
  • The Scottish Child Payment will rise to £40 a week for children under one and will be uprated with inflation from next April, alongside new funding for a child‑poverty action plan.
  • Income‑tax thresholds for the basic and intermediate bands will increase by 7.4%, offering modest relief to lower earners, while higher‑rate thresholds are largely unchanged and the 50% marginal band for some incomes remains unaddressed.
  • New wealth‑focused measures include a planned private jet tax after April 2027 and two additional council tax bands for £1m‑plus homes by April 2028.
  • Businesses get reduced property rates, £184m of transitional relief over three years, and a 15% rates relief for hospitality, tourism and leisure firms capped at £110,000 per business per year.