SCOTTISH Government debt has more than tripled in just seven years to £2.2billion.

Now John Swinney’s ministers are set to borrow almost £350million this year to balance the books.

And their debt pile is set to soar to £2.9billion by 2030-31, according to a report on dev­olved fiscal powers.

The figure for 2024-25 is already more than three times 2017-18’s £600million while ministers have used up three quarters of their credit limit.

They are set to spend more than £230million on interest payments this year, rising to more than £300million by the decade’s end.

Labour finance spokesman Michael Marra accused Nats of “flashing credit cards on an empty bank balance.”

With the next Holyrood election due in 2026, Lib Dem Willie Rennie agreed: “Ministers are spending like they know they’ll not be in power long enough to have to deal with the bill.”

We told how Holyrood chiefs face a £1billion budget black hole due to welfare spending and public sector pay rises —  rising to £1.9billion by 2027/28.  

And Scots Tories’ Liz Smith cautioned Nats against more tax hikes to try to plug the gap.

She argued: “This ballooning debt will stymie economic growth.

Want to see Scotland under the SNP?