Finance Secretary John Swinney has hit a new complication in his bid to build a Holyrood majority to pass his £30 billion Budget plans next Wednesday, with independent MSP Margo MacDonald holding out for two further concessions.

With every vote counting towards the 65 votes the SNP administration needs to defeat Labour and LibDems combined, Mrs MacDonald is pressing for a major boost to the share of health service spending going to Lothian, the region she represents.

She is also calling for a halt to the shift of the sportscotland from Edinburgh to a new Glasgow headquarters, which she says could save the taxpayer between £5m and £8m.

The MSP has already won a concession on more funds from next year to recognise the special costs of Edinburgh's role as capital city.

But last night, she told The Herald that is not sufficient to secure her vital vote in next Wednesday's crunch budget vote. The Lothian health increase would not break Mr Swinney's Budget, but it would implement an independent review of how more than £9bn is spread around Scotland's health boards each year.

The review found Edinburgh's population growth has not been reflected in health spending, that it should have had around £11m per year recently, and will need £47m more per year in future.

Mr Swinney is still wooing Conservatives to secure their 16 votes on Wednesday with concessions on business rate plans, while the two Green MSPs want a transport Budget shift towards rail and bus.