Blame game as MSPs return from recess to bleak financial outlook - Ian Swanson

First Minister John Swinney delivers his address at the SNP annual national conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Faced with a bleak financial picture, the Scottish Government has already abandoned a move to cheaper rail fares and announced the start of means-testing for the winter fuel allowance. And by all accounts there's worse to come.

The SNP, though, has a new government at Westminster to blame. Since winning the July 4 UK general election, Labour has spelled out the dire state of the economy they inherited from Rishi Sunak and the Tories, including lots of commitments it says were never budgeted for.

But the SNP dismisses Labour's claims that it's all much worse than they expected. "Baloney", First Minister John Swinney called it. He said he had “mapped it all out” during the election campaign and the situation was “absolutely obvious”.

When the Tories were in power, it was straightforward enough to point to their ideologically-driven policies, like tax cuts, which meant a squeeze on spending and an inevitable knock-on effect for Scotland.

With Labour in power, there is another layer to the SNP narrative - not only is new government accused of inflicting similar damage, there is the added element of betrayal - Keir Starmer and his colleagues promised "change" but have instead opted for cuts, say the Nationalsts.

It was a favourite theme at the SNP conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre at the weekend. Speaker after speaker denounced “Labour austerity” and claimed the new government was following in the footsteps of former Tory chancellor George Osborne.

The SNP, meanwhile, rejects the analysis by the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission which suggested many of the Scottish Government's economic problems are of its own making.

The commission’s chair, Professor Graeme Roy, said: “The past choices of the Scottish Government narrow its room for manoeuvre now and in the future. Previous pay settlements, the approach to social security payments, and the Council Tax freeze have all added to the in-year pressures that must be accommodated as it continues to negotiate pay with the public sector unions.”

Aside from the blame game, it looks like grim times ahead as the politician’s “tough choices” translate into poorer public services and cuts in provision.