While media political attention focused on Westminster for the latest installment of the Brexit Show and Mrs May’s no-confidence vote, the Scottish Government’s budget was debated at Holyrood on Wednesday. Continue reading Scotland’s Budget: stimulus and stability – or frustration and disappointment?
Two local SNP parliamentarians have added their voices to the campaign to save Pilton Community Health Project. Continue reading Ben Macpherson and Deirdre Brock pledge their support to PCHP
Scottish GPs are still facing a crisis according to the latest figures released yesterday. Continue reading Slight increase in GP numbers “too little, too late”:
The 2019-20 Scottish Budget will seek to strengthen Scotland’s economy and deliver long term investments to transform public services, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has said. Continue reading Safeguarding Scotland? Budget to support ‘transformation of essential public services’.
Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board have reported an overspend of 4.7m for the period to the end of July 2018, and that this is projected to rise to £11.9m by the end of the financial year. Scottish Conservatives are urging the Scottish Government to step in ease the pressure on Edinburgh’s IJB. Continue reading Edinburgh faces social care financial crisis
Green MSP Ross Greer has challenged Education Secretary John Swinney to justify his Government’s long-running subsidy of around £1.2 million to the fee-paying St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, at a time when many councils are axing free music tuition in schools due to budget cuts passed down by the Scottish Government. [1]
In an exchange during a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, Mr Greer argued that by grant funding a small number of places at a private school, the Government risked exacerbating a deep sense of inequality – highlighting the evidence previously given by one young person who said the situation was ‘approaching Victorian levels’ of inequality. [2]
Scottish Greens Education spokesperson, Ross Greer MSP said: “We’ve heard countless stories about how cuts to council budgets are driving young people from less privileged backgrounds away from learning an instrument, with one young woman telling us this is approaching Victorian levels of inequality.
“So I just can’t see how the government justifies giving over one million pounds of public money every year to a small private school, without any clear assessment of whether that is value for money. Instead, for example, it could increase funding for the four centres of musical excellence that serve local authority schools.”
[1] http://www.parliament.scot/par
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Green councillor Susan Rae has expressed serious concerns that Edinburgh has a long way to go to in tackling the homeless B&B crisis. Continue reading Green Concern As Edinburgh Council Breaks Law On Homelessness
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged Prime Minister Theresa May to change course to avoid an “utterly disastrous” no-deal Brexit if the Prime Minister’s plans are rejected by MPs in a crunch vote on 11 December – but Theresa May says the First Minister should listen to Scotland’s business leaders. Continue reading May tells Sturgeon: “Listen to the voices”
Research by the Scottish Conservatives has shown that almost 500 jobs in Lothian have been re-advertised over the last three years and almost 3,000 across Scotland. Continue reading Hundreds of teacher posts in Lothian re-advertised in last three years
