A top Holyrood committee visited Largs this week to hear from residents about Scotland’s budget challenges.

The Finance and Public Administration Committee, convened by Cunninghame North MSP, Kenneth Gibson, met locals at Vikingar and the Waterside pub to gather their views.

The visit is part of a parliamentary inquiry into the sustainability of Scotland’s finances, with Scottish ministers forecasting that public spending is set to outstrip income.

Some 40 local participants were invited to a workshop in Vikingar to discuss what the Scottish Government should prioritise in its 2024-25 budget.

Expert advice was given from Professor Graeme Roy, chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission and Mairi Spowage, director at the Fraser of Allander Institute.

The views given will help inform the committee’s scrutiny of the government’s budget in autumn.

FPAC convenor Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “The focus of our work this year is how the budget for 2024-25 and beyond will ensure Scotland’s finances are sustainable in both the short and longer-term.

“It is an incredibly important subject matter given the forecast budget pressures and longer-term demographic challenges in Scotland.

“Coming to Largs and talking to North Coast people will enable us to hear different views of the impact of the Scottish Government’s tax and spending decisions.

“And that matters because the budget and the long-term sustainability of Scotland’s finances will affect everyone in the country.”