Chris Ringland

So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27, NIV) In the first chapter of the Bible, God creates women and men equally in His image. Therefore, men and women are inherently of equal worth, value and dignity. The implications of this truth extend to all aspects of our personal behaviour and how we relate to each other. This certainly means that sexual abuse and sexual violence are completely unacceptable in all contexts.

Deciding where and how to allocate financial resources is one of the biggest responsibilities a government has. It shows where your priorities are, and what you value. The Scottish Government, led by the SNP, are currently a minority government. This means that it requires other political parties in the Scottish Parliament to vote with them for the budget to pass, or for other parties not to vote at all – which looks like the most likely outcome at this stage.

Since last year, there have been huge changes in Scottish politics but none more than the current financial status of the Scottish Government, which has become –to say the least – significantly challenging. Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government Shona Robison’s announcement of cuts of approximately £500 million to Scottish Government spending highlights the extent of this challenging backdrop.