THE Chancellor delivered her second Budget last week and it reflected key priorities for people here in East Lothian.
It will deliver help with the cost of living, investments in Scotland's industrial future and more money for Scottish public services.
At its heart are measures to benefit up to 95,000 children in Scotland, the biggest reduction in child poverty of any Budget this century.
In recognition of ongoing cost-of-living pressures, the Budget also cuts costs on energy bills by an average of £150. Alongside the Warm Homes Discount, this will mean Labour has delivered up to £300 off energy costs for the Scots most in need.
Above-inflation increases in the national living and minimum wages, state pension and Universal Credit will result in hundreds of thousands of Scottish households being better off.
The Budget also backed Scotland’s public services with an extra £820 million in investment. That takes the total additional funding to date for the Scottish Government to over £10 billion under this UK Labour Government.
It means the Scottish Government continues to receive over 20 per cent more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending across the rest of the UK. Now I am determined to ensure that this extra funding, the biggest settlement since devolution, reaches frontline services here in East Lothian and across Scotland.
In the meantime, I know many are still struggling. That is why, at Tesco’s invitation, I joined Martin Whitfield MSP at their Haddington store to back one of their local collections in support of East Lothian Foodbank. It is always humbling to see how generously people give to these collections, and I thank the volunteers and everyone who contributed.
Of course, all of us want to see an end to mass dependence on emergency food parcels. But while the need remains, the fact that neighbours here in East Lothian are helping our neighbours means that help is being provided to families in need.
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