DEREK Mackay has promised his Budget will “safeguard” Scotland against Tory austerity and the impact of Brexit, but the SNP finance minister faces a challenge to get his spending plans through Parliament.

With the Scottish Government having no majority in Holyrood, he needs to win over the MSPs of at least one other opposition party.

For the last two years the Scottish Government have relied on the votes of Scottish Greens to get the Budget passed, but Patrick Harvie and his colleagues have told the SNP they won’t support him unless there is a fundamental shake up of Scotland’s council tax.

SNP MSPs told The National Mackay would get the support from many of his colleagues if he came forward with some kind of local government tax reform.

READ MORE: Here's how the SNP Budget can go beyond ending austerity

However, The Tories urged Mackay not to be bullied by the Greens into “driving up taxes”.

Speaking ahead of the Budget, Shadow Finance Secretary Murdo Fraser said the SNP needed to be more “blue”.

“Once again, the SNP appears ready today to sign on the dotted line with their fellow independence travellers in the Green party. We know what that will mean: higher taxes for ordinary families,” he said.

“My message today to Derek Mackay is to back blue, not Green.

“Rule out a second referendum on independence, address the widening gap between tax rates in Scotland and the rest of the UK – and let’s talk.”

Labour have also told Mackay they’ll back him, but only if he introduces a £5 per week increase in child benefit and mitigates the Tory government’s two-child cap on tax credits.

They’ve also called for a freeze on Scotrail fares in the New Year, the creation of a women’s health fund to further research and support for women-specific conditions, and a £10 million cash injection into discretionary housing payments to help tackle the roll out of Universal Credit.

The party’s finance spokesperson James Kelly said: “The time for tinkering at the edges is over. We need a real change of direction in this Budget. In government, Labour will do things differently, but we have the power to make different choices in Scotland now.

“We are urging the SNP to take action to prevent more cuts to local services, to end the abhorrent two-child cap on social security, and to increase Child Benefit to lift 30,000 children out of poverty.”

The National:

Over the weekend, LibDem chief Willie Rennie announced that the party had walked away from preliminary talks with the Government over the SNP’s unwillingness to shelve a second independence referendum.

Speaking ahead of the Budget, the MSP said the offer of support still stood.

“The Liberal Democrats have put forward constructive proposals for investing in mental health services, for a good pay deal for teachers and investment in local government services,” he said.

“All we asked was for the SNP to put aside their campaign for independence, to have a short cessation, but they refused.”

He added: “We’ve walked away from the talks for now. But the door is still open. If the SNP want to focus on the things that matter for the country the Liberal Democrats are there to help.”

Mackay was unwilling to detail specific spending plans, but, in a statement, insisted his Budget would “set out how we will prepare the country for the future”.

He added: “Our spending plans for the year ahead will include long-term strategic investments that allow us to protect our essential public services, boost our economy and deliver on our commitments to the people of Scotland.

“Despite the UK Government’s promises, this Budget will be set against a backdrop of continuing UK austerity which has devastating impacts on the most vulnerable in our communities. This is also a budget presented under the shadow of the UK government’s chaotic approach to Brexit which hangs over our economy, our public services and risks making us all poorer in the future.”