THE latest Scottish Budget is one of the "most difficult in the history of devolution", Shona Robison told The National's podcast.
In the latest episode of Holyrood Weekly, the Deputy First Minister takes our political reporters through some of the tough decisions that had to be made amid a "new age of austerity" imposed by Westminster.
The Finance Secretary also weighed in on calls by senior Labour council figures to Tory Cabinet Ministers to intervene amid a row over council tax and bypass devolution.
The First Minister announced the freeze at the SNP's conference last year, and it has become a contentious policy with local authorities.
READ MORE: Is council tax frozen in my local area? See the full list
Robison described moves by Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire Labour councillors urging Michael Gove to stage an "urgent intervention" as "ridiculous" and said they were simply "playing politics".
Elsewhere, the DFM responds to criticism over cutting the affordable housing budget while homelessness figures have hit record levels, the Gaza Speaker row in Westminster and life as a woman in politics ahead of The National's special International Women's Day edition.
And, our political reporters Abbi Garton-Crosbie and Steph Brawn take you through the headlines from FMQs, the reaction to plans for an Orange walk in Aberdeenshire and how a Glasgow Willy Wonka experience went viral.
You can listen to Season 3: Episode 6 of Holyrood Weekly above, on Spotify and the Omny streaming platform.
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