Budget needs to focus on nation’s cost-of-living crisis - Lorna Slater
As households across Edinburgh and Scotland continue to feel the strain of rising bills, high rents and mortgages and everyday costs that keep creeping up, this year’s Scottish Budget must be firmly focused on easing the cost of living crisis.
For the Scottish Greens, that means using the budget to deliver practical, everyday support that helps families, young people and communities to not just get by, but to get ahead.
One of the most impactful ways we can do that is by expanding free bus travel for under 30s. In previous budget negotiations the Greens secured free bus travel for everyone under 22. It is one of the proudest achievements of devolution and has already made a real difference to young people across the country, cutting transport costs, improving access to education and work and helping reduce car use at the same time.
Affordable, reliable public transport should be a right, not a privilege. By extending and strengthening this scheme from under 22s to under 30s, we can help young people participate fully in society while also supporting our climate goals.
Another core Green priority in this budget is to expand free school meals. No child should struggle to learn because they are hungry and no parent should be forced to choose between food and other essentials. Free school meals are one of the most effective tools we have to tackle child poverty, reduce pressure on household budgets and improve health and educational outcomes.
The Scottish Greens are proud of the progress already made, but thousands more children could benefit if this policy is expanded further.
We are also calling for childcare to be truly free from age three. Childcare costs remain one of the biggest financial pressures facing families, particularly women, who are still more likely to reduce working hours or leave employment altogether.
At present most councils only offer free hours for children the term after they turn three, meaning that some families have to wait months for it, piling on extra costs.
Making it free from the day they turn three would be transformational, supporting parents back into work, boosting household incomes and giving every child the best possible start in life regardless of where they live.
Taken together, these policies are about more than individual benefits. They are about building a Scotland where the basics of life are affordable, where public services reduce inequality and where no one is left behind as prices rise.
This budget is an opportunity to show that tackling the cost of living crisis is not just a slogan, but a commitment backed by real investment.
The Scottish Greens will continue to push for a budget that puts people first and delivers lasting relief for families across Edinburgh and beyond.