Scotland will be counting cost of Humza Yousaf's budget disaster for years to come

First Minister Humza Yousaf

The impact of Humza Yousaf’s budget will be felt for years to come – but not in a good way. Homelessness is now at record levels according to shocking figures out yesterday and young people are struggling to find an affordable home.

The response of SNP and Green MSPs is to cut funding for affordable housing by nearly £200million. If you rent, if you are on a waiting list for a council house, if you are homeless – this cut will do nothing to help you.

The council tax freeze, another key part of the budget, will also have an impact. It could see widespread cuts, with councils warning of cuts to teacher numbers, leisure centre and library closures and cutbacks to other services.

First Minister Humza Yousaf will argue the freeze puts money back into people’s pockets during a cost-of-living crisis. But what is really needed is full-scale reform of the council tax, so that those in £1million homes pay a bigger share.

Without that reform, the council tax freeze does nothing to help the poor – many of whom are exempt any way. The FM does deserve credit for trying to make our income tax system more progressive, making those with the broadest shoulders pay more to support the NHS, education and public transport. But the Scottish Government appears unable to demonstrate where exactly this extra tax is making a difference.

It certainly doesn’t feel like our schools, hospitals or public transport are streets ahead of other UK nations and regions – despite the extra tax we pay.

The SNP is right to say the rotten Tory Government has wrecked the economy and damaged society with its policies. That has clearly had a knock-on effect on the amount of money available for the Scottish Government to spend.

But housing, homelessness and council funding are devolved to Holyrood – and the point of devolution was that we could use these powers to improve the lives of ordinary Scots. Many of the calls Yousaf made in his first budget do the exact opposite.

Fat cat fiasco

Residents of our largest city already know their local authority is struggling to provide basic services. Glasgow’s roads are riddled with potholes and bin collections are missed too often. And this week we learn the council is planning to axe 450 teaching jobs in a bid to plug a funding blackhole.

The timing couldn’t be worse to advertise for a chief exec on a salary of up to £210,000. Offering a wage that outstrips any other council boss, the First Minister and the Prime Minister won’t go down well.

Glasgow deserves a council that delivers for locals and promotes the city internationally. Not puffed-up fat cats who fail to manage the basics.

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