Press release: action to make Scotland’s budgeting clearer

11th August 2021

Today the David Hume Institute publishes a briefing paper proposing a new agreement on multi-year budgeting to deliver more open discussion about funding for public services and to enable longer-term planning for their delivery which will support a more open conversation about spending plans and investment choices. 

Over the last year the David Hume Institute’s Action Project considered the actions needed to move faster towards a more prosperous, sustainable, inclusive and fair country.  

Multi-year planning helps effective investment and productivity, and can be particularly useful on longer term projects, many of which are linked to climate action.

Despite repeated calls over many years to publish multi-year spending plans, it has proved difficult for Scottish Government to achieve this.  As public finances become even tighter post pandemic, this will remain a challenge.

Public and third sector organisations want more certainty about funding to allow them to plan for more than one year at a time. Draft multi-year budgets will help public services plan more efficiently as we emerge from the pandemic.

The Institute’s paper proposes a way forward for the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Government and Audit Scotland to make multi-year budgeting the established norm in Scotland.   

Susan Murray, Director of the David Hume Institute, says:

“The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government must work together to make multi-year budgeting the established norm in Scotland.  More open discussion about money and budgets, the predictions, assumptions and choices being made is important for Scotland is to achieve its climate, economic and equality targets.

The urgency for this change is backed by findings from the Institute’s Action Project - Scotland’s largest multi-generational research in the last five years. 

Multi-year budgeting would have an enabling impact for organisations, businesses and charities across Scotland.”

Notes to editors:

• For media enquiries please contact Susan Murray, Director@davidhumeinstitute.com 

• The David Hume Institute is an independent Scottish think tank which works towards a prosperous, sustainable, inclusive and fair Scotland. Find out more here.

• The David Hume Institute’s Action Project brought together people from across Scotland to consider the actions needed to move faster towards a more prosperous, sustainable, inclusive and fair country.  Through facilitated conversations with over 5,000 people we identified actions which will help Scotland build forward better. 

• The David Hume Institute worked with partners to reach people of all ages and backgrounds across Scotland.  These included U3A, the Scottish Youth Parliament, the Children’s Parliament and local organisations like InspirAlba in Campbeltown and Resonate Together in Alloa 

• WhatsYourAction.scot research investigated people’s thoughts on action they would like to see to build a more prosperous, sustainable, inclusive and fair country. Whatsyouraction.scot is a resource for everyone who lives in Scotland  and wants to build forward better. WhatsYourAction.scot wants to inform positive action by magnifying real people’s voices and helping them know they are not alone.

• This briefing paper was developed with support of the Action Project Steering Group, with special thanks to Eleanor Ryan and Stephen Boyle with additional support from Professor David Bell and Dr Katherine Trebeck.