Scottish budget will see hard choices - Social Justice Secretary

Scotland's Social Justice Secretary has warned about "hard choices" in the upcoming budget and defended taxation levels.

Shirley-Anne Somerville said those with the "broadest shoulders" would continue to pay more tax, but said this meant many public services were free or cheaper than other parts of the UK.

The Scottish government's 2026-27 Budget is set to be announced by Finance Secretary Shona Robison on Tuesday.

It will reveal how the SNP intends to spend around £60bn and whether there will be any tax changes in Scotland.

• Scottish Budget 2026 Live: Shona Robison to announce the government's spending and tax plans

Shirley-Anne Somerville was asked on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show about plans to fill a £5bn shortfall by the end of the decade - as highlighted by Scotland's auditor general in October.

Sommerville said she recognised the Scottish government was facing a "challenge", but said they would focus on "priorities such as improving the NHS further".

She added: "Yes, the NHS has challenges, it's turned a corner, but we know we need to invest further.

"And we know that we need to do more to tackle child poverty, and that's exactly what you'll see on Tuesday."

Somerville told the BBC that while some people pay more tax, it was important to remember the benefits of this.

She said: "There are free prescriptions, the free tuition fees that we all benefit from, and that's an important ask that we put forward to the people of Scotland."

But Scottish Conservative finance spokesperson, Craig Hoy, said that the Scottish government was implementing "high tax for the many, not the few".

He told The Sunday Show: "The problem now is that year after year, because of the stealth tax, because they've not basically increased thresholds.

"We're now seeing lower and middle income earners being dragged into upper rate tax and that's simply unfair."

Craig Hoy also accused the Scottish government of losing control of the welfare bill and said that payments related to adult mental health issues should be looked at "very carefully" so that people were not "parked on benefits".

He said that the Scottish Government had a "light touch" approach when it came to getting people off benefits.

His party is calling for £900m in tax cuts, which he argued would grow the economy and help to maintain public services in Scotland.

Commenting after Somerville's BBC interview, Scottish Labour's finance spokesperson Michael Marra said the SNP was in "complete denial" over the damage it had done to public finances.

He said: "No amount of empty platitudes and dodgy data can hide the SNP's woeful record.

"Scots are paying more and getting less under the SNP and this budget will only continue the broken status quo."

The Finance Secretary will deliver her draft Budget to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament at 14:00 on Tuesday.