Today [15th January] during a visit to Edinburgh, Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, will slam the SNP’s Budget for pushing taxes on hard working Scots to levels higher than those faced by equivalent workers in England.
The SNP’s Budget increases Scotland’s welfare bill to £9.2 billion by 2030 and raises spending on Scotland’s so-called “foreign aid budget” - a reserved matter - by 25 per cent. Tuesday’s Budget, which drives the income tax burden to its highest level since devolution, also raises spending for the constitution portfolio by £36 million, leaving nurses and teachers across Scotland paying the price for the SNP’s damaging pursuit of independence.
The two-day visit to Scotland will also include meetings with business leaders and on Friday, visits in the North East of Scotland to meet with those in the Oil and Gas sector which have been hit hard by Scotland's two governments. Badenoch is expected to use Friday to reiterate the Conservative commitment to liberate Britain’s oil and gas industry by ending the ban on new oil and gas licenses.
Accompanied by Russell Findlay MSP, Leader of the Scottish Conservatives, and Andrew Bowie MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Badenoch will also visit a popular Scotch whisky brand. The visit follows Conservative efforts in Parliament to force a vote requiring the Government to assess the impact of rising alcohol duty on pubs and the wider hospitality sector.
Commenting Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party said:
“Scotland needs a government that will back business, cut welfare and grow the economy. Instead Scotland has the SNP, whose budget raises taxes and benefits, and leaves hardworking Scots worse off than people in the rest of the UK.
"Under the SNP, nurses, teachers and families are being forced to pay higher and higher taxes just to bankroll a failing nationalist agenda.
"Labour’s decision to stand aside and let this terrible budget pass shows they can't provide the alternative Scotland desperately needs. Reform just want more welfare spending.
"Only the Conservatives are serious about cutting taxes for working people, getting a grip on benefits, backing businesses and restoring economic growth to Scotland and the whole of the UK.”
Andrew Bowie, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland said:
“Scotland is being shafted by two tired, cynical governments that have completely run out of ideas.
“By allowing this damaging Budget to pass unchallenged, Labour is complicit in raising taxes on millions of hard-working Scots.
“Only the Conservatives will get a grip on Scotland’s ballooning welfare bill and cut taxes for working people to drive the growth Scotland so desperately needs.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- SNP tax rises cost taxpayers in Scotland £1.8 billion. In 2026-27, the cumulative tax rises imposed by the Scottish Government since income tax was devolved costs taxpayers £1.754 billion. (Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts, 13 January 2026, https://fiscalcommission.scot/publications/scotlands-economic-and-fiscal-forecasts-january-2026/. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="0" data-auth="NotApplicable">link).
- The SNP are increasing spend on foreign aid by a quarter. Shona Robison confirmed: ‘I am proud to confirm that here in Scotland we will increase our international development fund by a quarter to 16 million pounds.’ (Scottish Budget 2026-27 Statement, 13 January 2026, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2026-2027-finance-secretarys-statement-13-january-2026-2/. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="1" data-auth="NotApplicable">link).
- The SNP have failed to rein in social security spending - with the budget set to increase by £646 million. The Scottish Government will spend £7.4 billion on benefits in 2026-27, a rise from the £6.8 billion that is due to be spent in 2025-26 (Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts - January 2026, 13 January 2026, https://fiscalcommission.scot/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Scotlands-Economic-and-Fiscal-Forecasts-January-2026.pdf. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="2" data-auth="NotApplicable">link).
- The SNP will spend £1.1 billion more on benefits compared to what they receive in funding. The £7.4 billion spent by the Scottish Government in 2026-27 on benefits exceeds the £6.3 billion they receive in order to finance devolved social security payments. (Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts - January 2026, 13 January 2026, https://fiscalcommission.scot/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Scotlands-Economic-and-Fiscal-Forecasts-January-2026.pdf. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="3" data-auth="NotApplicable">link)
- The SNP are increasing spend on the constitution budget by £36 million. The Scottish Government’s Constitution, External Affairs and Culture budget is increasing from £380 million in 2025-26 to £316 million to 2026-27. (Scottish Budget 2026-27, 13 January 2026, https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/corporate-report/2026/01/scottish-budget-2026-2027/documents/scottish-budget-2026-2027/scottish-budget-2026-2027/govscot%3Adocument/scottish-budget-2026-2027.pdf. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="4" data-auth="NotApplicable">link).
- The SNP are increasing the costs of welfare to £9.2 billion by 2030-31. According to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe): ‘devolved social security spending (which largely consists of disability and carer benefits, plus the Scottish Child Payment) is forecast to grow by an average of 5.7% per year in nominal terms between 2026-27 and 2030-31, reaching £9.2 billion. Nearly 40% of the projected increase is due to uprating payments in line with inflation and 60% due to higher take up of disability and carer benefits’ (SPICE, Scottish Budget 2026-27: Initial reaction, 13 January 2026, https://spice-spotlight.scot/2026/01/13/initial-reactions-to-the-final-budget-of-session-6/#:~:text=The%20Budget%20increases%20the%20thresholds,of%20%C2%A331.75%20per%20year.. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="5" data-auth="NotApplicable">link).