Quality public services need to be properly funded. Many of them are free at the point of need – but they aren’t free to provide. It is role of the Scottish government to ensure that there are sufficient funds to provide the services. ‘Not enough money’ is a political choice – not a necessity.
Public services in Scotland are underfunded. This is because governments have chosen not to use all the powers at their disposal to raise sufficient money. Tax levels under Holyrood’s control, including income tax, are only minimally different to those in the rest of the UK.
The outcome is a growing gap between the money the Scottish government brings in and the amount it intends spending – that gap is being filled by putting services and staff under ever greater pressure.