First Minister John Swinney urges parties to back Budget to 'deliver real progress'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

First Minister John Swinney has encouraged opposition parties to back a Scottish Government Budget which "delivers real progress for Scotland".He noted that there is "overwhelming public support" for key measures within it - including record investment in the NHS to transform patient experiences, lower waiting times and improving access to appointments.

Campaigning in Stirling on Saturday, he said "our NHS needs this Budget to pass" and urged other parties to "join the mainstream of Scottish public opinion" and back it.Scotland's Finance Secretary Shona Robison and Mr Swinney need at least one other party to back the draft Budget for it to pass because o the SNP are a minority administration at Holyrood.

Mr Swinney said: "My first Budget as First Minister will deliver progress for Scotland - and focuses on the key issues which matter most to people around the country."That is why measures in the Budget are supported overwhelmingly by the people of Scotland - including across the supporters of every major party.

We have heard people tell us about their issues with accessing NHS services - and our Budget will deliver record investment which will help people get treated faster, support GPs and tackle backlogs."We have listened to people across Scotland and we are taking action - that is what you can expect from a Swinney Government.