John Swinney MSP
Written 56 posts
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery (Previously: Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth; Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy; Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills)
Scottish Government calls for more support for businesses
21st September 2022
Energy policy is reserved to the UK Government and we have been calling for it to introduce a business energy cap for some time. I welcome that it has now done so, but without substantial reform to the energy market there is a real risk that this temporary measure will prove to be inadequate….
Reassurance following EU referendum
5th July 2016
The First Minister and Economy Secretary Keith Brown today met leaders of key business organisations to discuss Scotland’s place in Europe. The organisations involved were: CBI Institute of Directors Federation of Small Businesses Scottish Council for Development and Industry Scottish Financial Enterprise Scottish Chambers of Commerce FM @NicolaSturgeon and Economy Secretary @KeithBrownSNP will chair a…
Budget to boost economic growth and innovation
17th December 2015
The UK Government’s ideological obsession with austerity means that, between 2010 and 2020, one pound in every eight we spend is being cut. In any walk of life, that’s tough So the Scottish Government has had to take the difficult decisions – and our budget for next year delivers for low income households, prioritises public…
Austerity continues as Chancellor imposes 6% cut
25th November 2015
The Scottish Government will see a real terms reduction of almost 6 per cent in the funding for day to day public services over the next four years, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said today. Speaking after the Comprehensive Spending Review was announced by the Chancellor, the DFM condemned the continued “austerity of choice” but…
UK Budget ‘encourages inequality’
12th July 2015
The Chancellor is cutting disproportionately from the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society, short-changing those on low incomes and removing work incentives, whilst giving tax breaks to the better-off. The changes in the minimum wage, whilst welcome, are nowhere near enough to offset these changes. The UK Government’s budget simply encourages inequality. Tax credits…
Scottish cuts ‘bitter pill’
8th June 2015
In the face of strong opposition and no mandate for austerity in Scotland, the Chancellor plans to plough ahead and slash the Scottish budget this year. The cut of £107 million is substantially lower than the UK Government’s original estimate but this still too bitter pill to swallow. This comes on top of an overall…
£6 million to support Fife Taskforce
28th April 2015
This is a very anxious time for the workers at Tullis Russell, their families and indeed the wider community across Fife. Particularly in a small town the size of Markinch, the potential impact of these job losses cannot be underestimated. We are therefore making an immediate and initial financial investment of £6 million to support…
Land and Buildings Transaction Tax unveiled
21st January 2015
In October, the Draft Budget provided me with the honour of being the first Scottish Finance Minister for 308 years to set national tax rates. Even that experience didn’t prepare me for the even greater honour of seeing the design of my national tax being replicated across the UK in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement less…
2014: positive year for the Scottish economy
30th December 2014
This Government is determined to build a fairer, more sustainable, and more balanced economy and 2014 saw the Scottish economy log its strongest performance in seven years. With further headway in economic conditions expected next year, this should bring opportunity for business and security for hard working people across the country. The picture in the…