As it happened: Budget and Mackay resignation

Summary

Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy Kate Forbes delivers Scotland's budget
She says there will be no change to income tax rates in the 2020/21 financial year
Ms Forbes steps in for Derek Mackay who has resigned as the country's finance secretary
The MSP resigned following the Scottish Sun's allegations he contacted a 16-year-old boy on social media over a six-month period
At FMQs earlier, Nicola Sturgeon answered questions about the resignation of her cabinet minister

Live Reporting

Craig Hutchison and Louise Wilson

SFC forecastspublished at 16:24 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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SUMMARY: Opposition party response to the budgetpublished at 16:22 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Tories: The SNP’s budget falls short of Scottish Conservative demands and cannot be supported by the party.
Scottish Conservative finance spokesperson Murdo Fraser said:
“The SNP has to go back to the drawing board and make improvements if it wants to win our support."
Labour: The budget has not met Labour's asks on free bus travel for under 25s, on social care, on higher education funding and on cash to tackle climate change.
Scottish Labour finance spokesperson Rhoda Grant said:
"Despite the additional powers that have come to the Scottish Parliament over the last decade the SNP government have failed to maximise their use."
Image source, Getty Images
Greens:Timid budget fails to tackle climate emergency
Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie said:"It lacks the necessary action on the climate emergency and is an abdication of responsibility."
Lib Dems:The budget is only giving councils half of what they need.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: "Does the budget allow for any spending on independence?."
Applause for Kate Forbes after historic budgetpublished at 16:16 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Kate Forbes receives a warm round of applause from SNP colleagues having stepped into the breach to deliver the budget.
The junior finance minister was of course not meant to be in this position - but had to step up following the resignation of Derek Mackay.
Scotland's finance secretary quit hours before delivering his budget amid reports that he messaged a 16-year-old boy on social media.
The Scottish Sun said that Derek Mackay contacted the schoolboy, external over a six-month period, and told him that he was "cute".
Read more here.
Postpublished at 16:09 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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Postpublished at 16:05 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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Scottish government: Council funding and public servicespublished at 15:59 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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The first woman to deliver a budget at Holyrood or Westminster...published at 15:58 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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Postpublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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Minister: Lib Dems ‘more obsessed with independence than I am’published at 15:56 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Mr Rennie says ministers always say they have no spare money in budget negotiations before revealing secret pots of money.
He asks: "Does the budget allow for any spending on independence?"
Ms Forbes suggests the Lib Dems are “more obsessed with independence than I am”, highlighting the party has refused to engage in previous budget processes because of this.
“The Lib Dems have a choice with this budget to actually get involved, participate, and be willing to compromise,” she says.
She insists local government will get a cash increase of almost half a billion.
NEWS SUMMARY: No changes to income tax ratespublished at 15:54 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes stepped in to deliver the budget
There will be no changes to income tax rates in Scotland in the coming year, the government has announced.
Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes set out the budget in the place of Derek Mackay, who resigned as finance secretary on Thursday morning.
She announced that tax rates will not increase, although the threshold where the upper rates kick in will be frozen.
And she committed extra funding to health, education and investment aimed at tackling the "climate emergency".
'Councils have only been given half of what they need' - Renniepublished at 15:52 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Image source, b
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says this statement does include measures that his party can support.
Mr Rennie asks if there should not have been mention of all the projects in Scotland that are overspent to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds.
These include the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR), the Sick Kid's hospital in Edinburgh, the ferries and the hospitals in Aberdeen we found out about today, he says.
The Scottish Lib Dem leader insists: "Councils have only been given half of what they need."
Postpublished at 15:49 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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1% of GDP to be spent on tackling climate change, insists ministerpublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
The public finance minister says she is willing to be very constructive when it comes to engaging on the budget with all parties.
The government will be spending 1% of GDP on tackling climate change just in terms of capital, she says.
She accepts the proportion of spend on high carbon infrastructure must go down and insists today’s budget delivers that step-change.
Call for opposition proposals to be considered with 'open mind'published at 15:47 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Mr Harvie says there is no evidence of a shift away from the damaging transport projects of the Scottish government.
He also calls for free bus travel for young people.
The Scottish Green Party co-leader asks can Kate Forbes give a clear assurance that she will look with an open mind at all of the options his party and others are putting forward for transformational change.
He also wants this budget not to be presented on a "take it or leave it basis".
Harvie says Scotland is failing to tackle climate change due to transport policypublished at 15:46 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Scottish Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie says Kate Forbes is taking on a difficult task by stepping into the breach.
Mr Harvie says all political parties have a responsibility to be constructive, but so does Kate Forbes.
He says the area where Scotland is failing in terms of tackling climate change is on transport.
Mr Harvie insists there are little sign of the substantial changes needed.
Postpublished at 15:46 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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Praise for Kate Forbes for stepping up to the platepublished at 15:45 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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Postpublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
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Minister urges Labour to set out cost of proposalspublished at 15:41 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Kate Forbes says it is “disappointing” Labour voted against last year's budget despite it including cash to mitigate UK budget decisions.
This year will they vote for or against commitments to deliver the Scottish Child Payment which will lift children out of poverty?, she asks.
She insists that if Labour has other proposals they must set out what it would cost and, if it is more, what the party will cut in order to deliver.
'This budget is a disappointment'published at 15:39 Greenwich Mean Time 6 February 2020
Ms Grant wants to see a step-change in local government funding to help people escape from hospital and into their own homes.
She wants more funding for education and says "this budget is a disappointment and lets down the people of Scotland".
How will spending plans tackle climate change, equip councils and finally put an end to delayed discharges?, she asks.