Rebecca Mason, client manager, looks at the top stories for the week ahead.
The festive season may be upon us, but there is little cheer to be had for the Labour government it seems. The much-anticipated budget has cast a chill over Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves which is likely to linger well into this week.
On Tuesday, the Office for Budget Responsibility chairman Richard Hughes will appear before the Treasury select committee, where he is likely to be grilled about the OBR’s clash with No 11 in the lead up to the Chancellor’s budget, as well as the early release of its forecasts which led to details of Reeve’s policy decisions getting out before she had a chance to announce them. On Sunday, chancellor Reeves declined three times to say whether Hughes should stay in his job ahead of the publication of a report into leak.
And the mood in the Commons may darker further. According to The Sunday Times, Reeves is likely to face an urgent question over claims that she misled the public and markets “by overstating the scale of the fiscal challenge in order to justify tax rises.”
Today, prime minister Keir Starmer will attempt to shift the narrative by setting out his long-term growth strategy and reaffirm Labour’s commitment to addressing the cost-of-living crisis. This comes amid concerns the chancellor’s “retail offer” to voters, including cuts to energy bills and a freeze on rail fares and prescriptions, has failed to land with the public.
Meanwhile, foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Wednesday for their second annual NATO gathering of the year. US secretary of state Marco Rubio is expected to attend and will likely discuss peace talks between US and Ukrainian officials over president Donald Trump’s plans to end Russian invasion in Ukraine.
In brief - Scotland's economy and business
Deputy first minister Kate Forbes has expressed her frustration to the UK government over delays in decision making around Chinese firm MingYang’s proposed £1.5bn turbine factory in the Highlands, writes The Scotsman. Forbes criticised Labour ministers for creating an investment “vacuum” that risks stalling progress on ScotWind projects and that prolonged uncertainty is increasingly unsettling for the industry, particularly among the supply chain.
In The National, Salmond Scotland has criticised new research by Petro Consulting and the University of Edinburgh over findings that the economic benefits of Scotland’s salmon farming industry are ‘overexaggerated.’ According to the industry body, independent research shows the sector contributes £1bn annually, including 11,000 jobs.
The Times (£) reported that NHS Scotland is under fire for allocating around £360,000 to hire professional actors to play simulated patients in medical training, with critics calling the spending wasteful amid long waiting times and severe financial strain across Scotland’s health boards.
OpinioNation - columns of interest
“Ireland holds a special place in Scotland’s international priorities,” writes cabinet secretary for constitution, external affairs and culture Angus Roberston in The Herald. Roberston argues that by renewing a partnership between the two nations rooted in shared history and future ambition, Scotland and Ireland can unlock deeper trade and investment ties, while delivering outcomes in health, housing, and the renewable energy sector.
John Harris argues in The Guardian that Britain’s “squeezed middle” is now increasingly anxious and financially strained by the current Labour government. With stagnating incomes and rising tax burdens following last week’s budget, Harris warns that middle-class families feel under pressure from all sides, raising doubts around whether Labour still understands or represents the ‘suburb’ voters it once relied on in the 20th century.
Access to culture and arts, especially art history, is increasingly unequal across the UK, writes Libby Purves in The Times (£). Its decline in state-school education, combined with geographical disparities, means young people lose structured pathways into the fine arts and contributes towards broader hostility around “elitist” art.
Shifting the dial - recent research
According to new research by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG), Scottish doctors and healthcare professionals are divided over the implementation of assisted dying in Scotland.
Two in five (41%) said they were either “completely supportive” or “leaning towards supporting” the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, while half (49%) were “leaning towards opposing” or “completely opposed” to the legislation in its existing state.
Doctors and healthcare professionals say capacity assessments (48%) and the ability to determine if a patient was acting voluntarily (59%) were major challenges, with many (45%) raising concerns over the definition of terminal illness and over half (55%) “not very” or “not at all” confident the bill would provide sufficient legal protection for professionals.
The week ahead - fill your diary with key events
Monday
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Westminster
- Oral questions: Education (including Topical Questions)
Tuesday
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In the Holyrood chamber
- Topical Questions
- Ministerial Statement: Commonwealth Games – Glasgow 2026
- Members’ Business: Pam Duncan-Glancy: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
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In the Holyrood committee rooms
- Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee will take evidence on the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1
- Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee will take evidence from the Scottish Human Rights Commission; will consider a draft report on its Pre-Budget Scrutiny
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Westminster
- Oral questions: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development (including topical questions)
- Treasury Committee – Oral evidence: Budget 2025
- Business and Trade Committee – Oral evidence: UK trade with the US, India and EU
- Economic Affairs Committee – Oral evidence: The UK’s fiscal framework
Wednesday
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In the Holyrood chamber
- Portfolio Questions
- Scottish Labour Party Debate: Health
- Scottish Labour Party Debate: Justice
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In the Holyrood committee rooms
- Rural Affairs and Islands Committee will take evidence on the Good Food Nation (Scottish Ministers) Regulations 2025; consider the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2 (Day 3)
- Economy and Fair Work Committee will take evidence on the Digital Assets (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1
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Westminster
- Oral questions: Wales
- Prime Minister’s Question Time
- Scottish Affairs Committee: One off – Wood panelling industry
- Science, Innovation and Technology Committee – Oral evidence: Work of the Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology
- Treasury Committee – Oral evidence: Budget 2025
- Energy Security and Net Zero Committee – Oral evidence: Building support for the energy transition
Thursday
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In the Holyrood chamber
- General Questions
- First Minister’s Questions
- Portfolio Questions: Education and Skills
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Westminster
- Oral questions: Cabinet Office (including Topical Questions)
Friday
- UK: Halifax House Price Index