THE Scotland Office is set for a funding boost – as other Government departments get their budgets slashed, The National can reveal.
The territorial office, headed by Labour’s Ian Murray, is set for a 14% rise in spending, while departments like Transport and the Home Office face the axe.
There is little detail on what the money will be spent on – with the Budget confirming plans for a scheme called Brand Scotland, to promote Scottish produce and industry on the world stage – but The National understands money is allocated for staffing costs and the pressure of inflation.
The Scotland Office spent £13.4 million in the current financial year and is projected to spend £15.4m in the financial year 2025-26, according to Treasury documents with the increase measured in current prices.
The boost comes as other departments face cuts. The Home Office’s budget, spent on policing in England and Wales, will be cut by 2.7% over the next two years and Transport is down by 2.5%, in real terms.
Brand Scotland’s cost makes a £750,000 dent in the £2m uplift planned for the Scotland Office.
On the basis of those figures, it appears widely-reported plans to “turbo-charge” the department, making it into a poverty-fighting force have been shelved.
Before the election, it was reported that the Scotland Office would be transformed into a “spending department” with powers to fund schemes north of the Border directly with a £150m pot of repurposed “Levelling Up” cash.
However, Labour have committed to spending £1.38 billion over the next decade – or £138m annually – on projects in Scotland.
Questions have been raised about how the spending increase will benefit the people of Scotland – with fears raised the money will be spent on “Union-flag-waving projects”.
Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie (above) said: “It’s entirely unclear what this money is actually for, and I am sceptical that funding the Scotland Office actually benefits anyone in Scotland.
“Any extra funding for public services or infrastructure should have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament, allowing us to invest it in our schools and NHS or to put it towards scrapping peak rail fares, rolling out free school meals for primary 6 and 7 pupils or mitigating the damage done by Labour’s cruel decision to cut the winter fuel payment.
“I would love to see this money being used for the benefit of Scotland’s communities, but instead I fear it will be poured into Union-flag-waving projects.”
Chris McEleny (below), the general secretary of the Alba Party, said: “Scotland has its own parliament to make spending commitments on the priorities of the people of Scotland.
"We don’t need an imperial presence to tell us what we should spend our own resources on.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: "The funding settlement agreed for the Scotland Office for this and next financial year ensures a strong department which will play a key role in shaping and influencing UK government policy for Scotland in Westminster and abroad.
"That includes £750k funding for ‘Brand Scotland’, a manifesto commitment that will help drive growth by promoting Scottish services around the world – from shipbuilding to science and salmon to Scotch, along with our rich culture.
"By selling Scotland to the world we can unlock jobs and investment."
