Election-year cash splash or looming crash? Robison’s budget promises big spending – but can Scotland afford it, asks Guy Stenhouse

It's Scottish budget time

On Tuesday, Shona Robison will, barring accidents, stand up to announce Scotland's budget for 2025/26.

There will be usual bleating about the meanness of the UK Government and how everything would be so much better if the SNP had all the financial levers of power. This will be followed, it's an election year after all, by new spending on what the SNP thinks will curry favour with the voters and also probably the traditional punishment beating for those with "the broadest shoulders".

All of this is just different flavours of nonsense.

If the Scottish Government had full control of all taxation in Scotland and neither gave anything to nor received........

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