Friday October 16th 2026
Colin Beattie MSP, Midlothian North, writes his monthly column for Midlothian View.
Families across Scotland continue to feel the pinch as the cost-of-living crisis persists. As the UK Government prepares to announce its Budget, the decisions made are about far more than abstract fiscal rules. They are about whether families can afford childcare, to heat their homes or to fill up their cars.
I hope the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer keep these realities firmly in mind when they deliver their Budget this month. There are clear steps they could take to ease the pressure on people across Scotland: providing support with energy bills, addressing the economic damage caused by Brexit and creating the conditions for businesses to grow.
Labour promised to cut energy bills by £300 when they were elected. However, the October price cap has risen by around £300, meaning bills would need to fall by £600 from the projected level to deliver on that promise. People need action, not empty promises.
Scotland is an energy-rich nation, yet households continue to face some of the highest energy costs in Europe, while diesel has reached £2 a litre. If the UK Government will not devolve greater energy powers to the Scottish Parliament, it must provide immediate support for households struggling with their bills. It must also deliver a long-term strategy to reduce energy costs, support jobs and ensure Scotland benefits from the wealth generated by its own energy resources.
The failure to address these challenges risks compounding the wider problems facing the UK economy. Scotland cannot afford to be held back by economic decisions that fail to deliver sustainable growth or improve living standards.
We cannot afford another round of broken promises and economic mismanagement from Westminster. Independence would give Scotland the opportunity and the powers to make different choices: to harness our energy wealth, support businesses, invest in public services and build an economy that works for the people who live here. Scotland has the resources and the potential to do so.
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