The Scottish Government is addressing a projected budgetary deficit while simultaneously initiating a parliamentary process to seek independence from the United Kingdom.

蘇格蘭政府在處理預計預算赤字的同時，也啟動了議會程序以尋求從英國獨立。

Regarding fiscal management, Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary Jenny Gilruth has acknowledged an anticipated funding shortfall of approximately £5 billion by the end of the decade. This follows an assessment by the auditor general indicating a lack of a comprehensive strategy to mitigate a £4.7 billion gap by 2029-30. The administration intends to implement public sector reforms and efficiency measures, coordinated by Minister for Public Sector Reform Ivan McKee, though Gilruth has conceded that expenditure reductions are inevitable. While the government aims to protect vulnerable populations and maintain frontline services through initiatives such as childcare expansion and transport subsidies, the Scottish Greens have expressed reservations concerning potential large-scale redundancies and have proposed alternative revenue-generation strategies.

關於財政管理，副第一部長兼財政大臣 Jenny Gilruth 承認，預計到本十年末將出現約 50 億英鎊的資金缺口。此前審計長的一項評估指出，目前缺乏全面策略來彌補 2029-30 年間 47 億英鎊的缺口。行政部門打算實施公共部門改革與效率措施，由公共部門改革部長 Ivan McKee 協調，儘管 Gilruth 已承認削減支出不可避免。雖然政府目標透過擴大兒童照顧和交通補貼等措施，保護弱勢族群並維持前線服務，但蘇格蘭綠黨對潛在的大規模裁員表示保留，並提出了替代的收入增加策略。

Parallel to these economic measures, the administration is pursuing a constitutional rapprochement with the electorate via a proposed independence referendum. First Minister John Swinney intends to request a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to devolve the necessary powers from the UK Government. The administration posits that the current composition of the Scottish Parliament, which contains a record number of pro-independence Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), constitutes a democratic mandate for such a vote. Conversely, the UK Government has maintained a position of opposition to further referendums, asserting that governance should prioritize economic growth and public service delivery over constitutional division.

與這些經濟措施平行，行政部門正試圖透過擬議的獨立公投，與選民在憲法問題上達成協調。第一部長 John Swinney 打算根據 1998 年《蘇格蘭法案》請求一份第 30 條指令，以從英國政府移交必要權力。行政部門認為，目前蘇格蘭議會中支持獨立的議員 (MSP) 數量創下紀錄，構成了此次投票的民主授權。相反，英國政府一直維持反對進一步舉行公投的立場，主張治理應優先考慮經濟增長與公共服務交付，而非憲法分裂。

The Scottish Government faces the dual challenge of mitigating a significant fiscal deficit and navigating a constitutional impasse with the UK Government.

蘇格蘭政府面臨雙重挑戰：既要緩解顯著的財政赤字，又要處理與英國政府之間的憲法僵局。