There will be a ‘conversation’ about compensation for tax increases – Anas Sarwar

Scottish Finance Minister Ivan McKee said the new money available to the Scottish Government does not fully alleviate financial pressure.

He said that the majority of the additional £1.5 billion in the current financial year would be used to pay for already agreed public sector pay rises and that a relatively small proportion of that amount was available for capital spending on things such as infrastructure .

On compensation for changes to national insurance, he said there were mixed messages.

“It seems that part of the British government is saying one thing, but Rachel Reeves, the chancellor and ultimately the boss, is saying something else, and that this is already included in the money we have been allocated,” he said. he said.

“So that’s a big, big unknown.”

McKee refused to know what would be in the Scottish budget on December 4.

But asked whether he thought a further increase in taxes in Scotland would be counterproductive, he said: “I think that’s a very strong consideration.”