Tag: Politics

Home truths: Edinburgh’s housing stock depleted by short-term lets

Capital-ism: Edinburgh landlords fill their boots while waiting lists grow longer

More than 30 landlords are operating lucrative short term letting businesses in Scotland’s capital, a new report reveals, adding to the pressure on Edinburgh’s housing stock.  Continue reading Home truths: Edinburgh’s housing stock depleted by short-term lets

“Staggering”: £100 million a year to plug welfare gap

More than £100 million is spent each year to help relieve the worst impact of UK Government welfare cuts and support those on low incomes, the Scottish Government has said. This includes mitigating the bedroom tax for over 70,000 people, saving them an average of £650 a year, and providing £33 million support through the Scottish Welfare Fund, which has helped over 265,000 households since 2013, providing goods such as nappies and food. Continue reading “Staggering”: £100 million a year to plug welfare gap

Making maths fun: John Swinney launches Christmas Maths Challenge

Primary pupils across Scotland received a series of festive-themed maths puzzles to take home for the school holiday as part of a drive to encourage more positive attitudes towards numeracy and maths. The five puzzles are aimed at Primary Six pupils and their families to complete over the holidays as a fun way of exploring maths outside the classroom.   Continue reading Making maths fun: John Swinney launches Christmas Maths Challenge

Building a fairer Scotland?

A 28% funding increase will help deliver at least 50,000 affordable homes over this Parliament, as announced in the Draft Budget by Finance Secretary Derek Mackay. Communities Secretary Angela Constance said that, while the target is challenging, the government has shown that it can deliver. Continue reading Building a fairer Scotland?

MSP welcomes unification of bowel cancer charities

Miles Briggs, Lothian MSP and the Shadow Health Secretary, is welcoming the news that the UK’s two leading bowel cancer charities, Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer, have announced they are uniting to form a new single charity. Continue reading MSP welcomes unification of bowel cancer charities

“A cloak of darkness”: Brock calls for Brexit DUP donors to be named

“There is already far too much that is hidden – far too much that has a cloak of darkness pulled over it” – Deirdre Brock MP.

Deidre Brock MP has called for all donors to parties in Northern Ireland during the EU referendum to be open to public scrutiny. Ms Brock is the SNP’s spokesperson on Northern Ireland and also sits on the committee tasked with scrutinising the secondary legislation which was introduced yesterday. Continue reading “A cloak of darkness”: Brock calls for Brexit DUP donors to be named

Social Security: Johnstone urges benefits uprating

Ahead of today’s Stage One vote at Holyrood on the Social Security Bill, Alison Johnstone MSP, Social Security spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said rising inflation shows the need for the UK Government to scrap the benefits freeze and for the Scottish Government to ensure new devolved benefits increase with the cost of living.

She pressed the issue of uprating devolved benefits at least in line with inflation during committee scrutiny of the Social Security Bill.

A majority of the Social Security Committee has recommended that the Bill includes an annual duty on ministers to consider inflation when setting the rates of devolved benefits.

Inflation means annual household costs are rising 3.1 per cent, but the UK Government continues to keep a range of benefits frozen at 2015 levels, meaning that the real-terms value of many benefits is falling.

Sheffield Hallam University figures show that 700,000 Scots households a year will be worse off to the tune of £450 a year by 2020/21.

Alison Johnstone, Social Security spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, said: “Vulnerable members of our communities are struggling with the rising cost of living due to a heartless UK Government that has frozen their financial support. The latest inflation figures show this problem will only get worse but with new devolved powers there’s a chance for Scotland to take a different approach.

“Scottish Ministers have indicated a pay rise for public sector staff that almost matches inflation, following years of real-terms cuts. The same principle must apply to devolved benefits covered by the new Social Security Bill, if we truly believe in a fairer Scotland.”

Local government funding: who do you believe?

Holyrood Chamber

The Scottish Government says public services have been protected despite cuts to Scotland’s block grant from Westminster, but council leaders argue that councils are facing yet more damaging cuts. They can’t both be right: who’s telling the truth? Continue reading Local government funding: who do you believe?