The first Labour Budget for over a decade will “herald an era of growth for Scotland”, Ian Murray has insisted – with the Scottish Secretary saying SNP ministers at Holyrood must ensure any additional cash they receive goes towards frontline services.

He was speaking as Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver what will be the first Budget from a Labour Chancellor since 2009 on Wednesday.

While Reeves has made clear the economic situation left by the Conservatives will mean difficult choices, she has said her Budget will “begin to fix the NHS and start to rebuild our economy”.

Her Cabinet colleague Murray has warned: “No-one should be in any doubt about the scale of the challenge the Labour Government inherited when it comes to the public finances.

“The Tories left us a £22 billion black hole, emptying the reserves meant for disasters and emergencies three times over.”

The country is waiting to hear who are the “working people” Prime Minister Keir Hardie said will not face taxes rises.

Amid speculation the Chancellor is to change debt rules to spend billions more, Murray added: “This Budget will herald an era of growth for Scotland, after years of damaging austerity from the Tories, made even worse for Scottish public services by the incompetent SNP.”

Holyrood Finance Secretary Shona Robison, pictured leaving Bute House, announced £500m of savings in September, amid what she described as “enormous and growing pressure on the public finances”, but Murray insisted a “chaotic SNP” had been forced into “emergency in-year cuts”.

Hitting out at the Scottish Government, he said: “While Labour cleans up 14 years of Tory mess, the SNP created a mess of their own making, having wasted £5bn over their years in office due to their own buy now, pay later policies.

“For three consecutive years services have endured emergency in-year cuts from the chaotic SNP.

“Labour will end this short-term, populist politics and fix the foundations for the long-term. There will be no return to austerity.

“The SNP must ensure any additional funding for public services reaches the front line, bringing down waiting lists in the NHS and raising attainment in our schools – it can’t be used to plug the gaps. Scots rightly expect results.”

Scottish public finance minister Ivan McKee however voiced doubts that there would be an “end to the era of Westminster austerity” under Labour.

Speaking ahead of what he described as “make or break moment” with the Budget, McKee said: “Given the widespread reports of Labour ministers expressing concern at the cuts they are being asked to make in their own departments, it does not seem likely that we are going to see an end to the era of Westminster austerity.”

“It must lead to increased investment in our public services immediately – and not only reversing the cuts to Scotland’s capital funding but significantly enhancing it.

“The UK Government is facing a make or break moment in this Budget – and without the immediate investment in public services that we need to see, it will be clear that this Labour government is committed to the same ruinous path as the previous Tory government.”

Speaking ahead of the UK Budget on Wednesday, Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine MP, pictured left,  said:  “Making the NHS and social care a top priority in the UK Budget could help fix the crisis at the front door and the back door of the NHS.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are locked out of work by physical and mental ill health. By repairing the crisis in social care and getting everyone faster access to care we can cut waiting lists, help people get on in life and kickstart the economy.

“People are waiting an age but the SNP have poured cold water on essential NHS projects all across Scotland, from the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion to the Belford hospital. The efforts of staff to tackle the treatment backlogs are being held back by the SNP’s mismanagement of the public finances.

“The Chancellor must invest any extra borrowing wisely including paving the way for productive investment in Scotland’s crumbling NHS buildings and the local fast-access health facilities our communities need.”

Top of page: Scottish Secretary Ian Murray was speaking as Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver what will be the first Budget from a Labour Chancellor since 2009 on Wednesday.