As we are told by the Scottish Government, Scotland is facing its most significant fiscal challenge since the Scottish Parliament was convened in 1999.

The Government is looking to cut hundreds of millions of pounds in public spending to balance its budget, and the raft of measures the Finance Secretary, Shona Robison, has announced have gone down like a cup of cold sick. It's not just opposition MSPs who oppose cuts to free school meals for P6 and P7 pupils, for example, but a third sector that has historically had little but positive things to say about the Scottish Government under the SNP. But the Parliament will decide, and we got an early indication on Wednesday of whether the Government will struggle to pass a Budget Bill before the new fiscal year begins in April 2025. The signs are not good.

MSPs voted on two opposition motions, one calling on the Scottish Government to reverse its decision to reintroduce peak train fares and the other calling on the Government to provide free school meals to all primary school children. The Government lost both votes, with the opposition parties arrayed in favour of them.

The Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour, the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the Scottish Greens, and Ash Regan, Alba's lone MSP, are united in their opposition to the raft of measures the Scottish Government has announced to relieve the budgetary pressure it faces. They have set the scene for an almighty clash over the Scottish Government budget, which must pass Parliament when the Budget Bill is published in December.

The Scottish Government needs 65 votes to pass a Budget Bill and falls one short even with the support of Ms Regan and........

© Herald Scotland