REJECTING BUDGET WILL BE ALBATROSS ROUND YOUR NECK

Swinney challenges Opposition to back supporting OAPS in winter

- CRAIG PATON

VOTING against the Scottish Government's Budget will be an "albatross" around Labour's neck, the First Minister has said, as he pledged to be the one "putting it there".

Finance Secretary Shona Robison published the government's draft Budget last week, with the SNP two votes short of a working majority, although still able to rely on support from expelled MSP John Mason.

Put to him that the most viable partners to support the Budget in its final vote in February were the Scottish Greens or Lib Dems, John Swinney suggested Anas Sarwar and Labour could back the proposals.

These include a scaled-back winter fuel payment scheme for next year and the beginning of work to mitigate the two-child benefit cap in Scotland.