KATE Forbes has warned Scotland faces a "very difficult financial position” over the next few years after leading economists said she may be forced to hike taxes or cut services. The Scottish Government’s own central projection is for a budget spending gap of £3.5billion in the public finances by 2026/27, equivalent to £640 for every person in Scotland. “That means while the spending review is not a budget, it will include difficult decisions, to ensure we can really focus on supporting households and services at this time. Labour MSP Daniel Johnson said the IFS assessment "laid bare" the price of "SNP economic failure". He said: "It is clear that the spending review will reveal the heavy cost of the SNP economic mismanagement."

Source: Forbes May 29, 2022 19:57 UTC