Politics / Green councillor hopes Lib Dems have been driving ‘hard bargain’ in budget talks
A LOCAL Green councillor says he hopes Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart has been driving a “hard bargain” in any Scottish budget negotiations between her party and the SNP.
Alex Armitage added budget negotiations between the Liberal Democrats and the SNP could have been the “opportunity to unlock the key projects that are vital for Shetland’s future, that will save money and carbon in the long term” – such as tunnels.
The SNP government will unveil its draft 2025/26 budget in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon (Wednesday).
The SNP minority government requires support from other MSPs in passing its budget, and in recent years it has leaned on the Greens.
But the SNP-Green Bute House agreement came to an end in April.
Amid newspaper reports that a funding commitment for two new Northern Isles freight vessels could have been used in budget talks between the SNP and the Lib Dems, Wishart said last month her party would work “constructively” on the budget.
Meanwhile the Daily Record is reporting today that the government is set to reverse cuts to its affordable housing budget, imposed by previous first minister Humza Yousaf.
Shetland Islands Council had been advised to plan housing developments over the next five years with less funding, causing delays to projects like the Knab and eliciting concern from elected members.
However, in October the new Labour UK Government said an extra £3.4 billion would be coming Scotland’s way for 2025/26.
Regarding budget talks, Armitage said if Wishart and the Lib Dems are “willing to jump into bed with the SNP, it’s vital that they leverage the best possible deal for Shetland”.
He said he was concerned about the reports on the freight vessels, however.
“Anything less than full funding for inter-island connectivity, including tunnels to Unst, Yell, Whalsay and Bressay, and electric ferries to the peerier isles, should be a red line,” Armitage said.
“The fact that Shetland’s constituency MSP, the only MSP exclusively elected by Shetlanders, is in a kingmaker position in the budget, means that an opportunity exists for the specific needs of Shetland to have an outsized effect on the priorities of the Scottish Government’s budget,” he said.
“There are plenty of things that Shetland needs – tunnels, ferries, a hospital, a new Brae High School. Now is the time for Shetland’s MSP to be driving a hard bargain.”
Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison will unveil the draft budget this afternoon, with her speech scheduled to start around 2.50pm.
However there is still time for parties to potentially negotiate given that voting on the budget will only happen in February.
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