# Why Scotland’s next government faces tough choices

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/why-scotland-s-next-government-faces-tough-choices
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/why-scotland-s-next-government-faces-tough-choices.md
Podcast: [IFS Zooms In: The Economy](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796)
Published: 2026-04-08T14:26:53+00:00
Episode link: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/5ea004d9fbcc383829c71657/e/69d665ad086c93c18bb068a8/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ifs-zooms-in-the-economy-638796/episodes/why-scotland-s-next-government-faces-tough-choices
Duration seconds: 2817

## Resource

Scotland receives significantly more funding per person for devolved public services than England, helping to pay for policies like free university tuition and smaller school class sizes. But despite that advantage, performance in parts of health and education remains under pressure, and Scotland’s fiscal outlook is becoming tighter. In this episode, Helen is joined by Mairi Spowage of the Fraser of Allander Institute and IFS Associate Director David Phillips to unpack the big economic and fiscal questions hanging over the Scottish Parliament election. They explain what powers are devolved, where Scotland’s money comes from, how tax and benefit choices have made the system more progressive, and why the next Scottish Government will face difficult trade-offs. They also discuss Scotland’s public service performance after Covid, the risks created by recent budgeting habits, and the issues politicians may prefer not to talk about as manifesto season begins. Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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