Lothian MSP Sarah Boyack has slammed the Scottish Government as new statistics have revealed just how stark the current housing crisis gripping the Lothians is.
The Private Rent Statistics Scotland report, published by the Scottish Government, reveal that rents in the Lothian have seen the highest above inflation increases in rent for two bed properties of any area in Scotland.
The situation is equally alarming for one bed properties, with Lothian rents increasing by 14.4% in 12 months, compared with only a 0.3% increase in Greater Glasgow.
This has left Lothian with the highest average monthly rent for one bed flats anywhere in Scotland.
The same is true for 2 beds with the average rent in Lothian being £1358, the highest in the country.
The average rent across Lothian has increased almost 100% from 2010, from £520 to £1013 over the period.
The crisis prompted Edinburgh Council to declare a housing emergency in November 2023 highlighting the scale of the challenge facing the capital.
East Lothian Council declared an affordable housing emergency on the 12th of November this year after it was revealed they were likely to lose over 1200 affordable houses over the next five years.
Commenting on these stats, Sarah Boyack MSP said: “These figures are deeply disturbing but entirely unsurprising.Any tenant in Edinburgh is aware of just how much rents have spiralled out of control.
“I have been raising constantly with the Scottish Government about the state of the housing crisis in Edinburgh and the wider Lothians. I hope these statistics snap them out of their apathy.
“Edinburgh Council desperately needs more funding if we are ever to get on top of this problem.
“The Scottish Government must finally act and work with councils across Lothian if we are to finally start addressing this housing emergency rather than letting it escalate.”
Later this week the Prime Minister will set out ambitious milestones for change that will deliver ‘real, tangible improvement to the lives of working people across the country’
PM to galvanise action across government and beyond with radical next phase of Mission delivery
Measurable milestones will be set out in new Plan for Change, that will put working people’s priorities first
Relentless prioritisation will ensure that the government delivers for working people this Parliament
The Prime Minister will set out ambitious milestones for change that will deliver real, tangible improvement to the lives of working people across the country in this Parliament, later this week.
The Plan for Change will mark the next phase of Mission-led government, as the PM continues to take an unrelenting approach to delivering on the priorities of working people.
The Missions – growing the economy, an NHS fit for the future, safer streets, secure power through clean energy and opportunity for all – are part of a decade of national renewal, built on the foundations of a stable economy, national security and secure borders.
The government has already made significant progress on its Missions since July; fixing the foundations of the country and kicking off the first steps to deliver real change. This has included stabilising the economy, establishing a new Border Security Command that will smash the gangs and tackle small boat crossings, and investing an extra £22bn building an NHS fit for the future including an extra 40,000 appointments.
This action has all taken place having inherited the unprecedented twin challenges of crumbling public services and crippled public finances. The government has had to make difficult decisions, including reforming agricultural property relief and targeting the winter fuel allowance.
Having taken action to fix the foundations and kick off the First Steps, the Plan for Change will set out ambitious but achievable milestones on the Missions that will be reached by the end of the Parliament, driving real improvements in the lives of working people.
Achieving them will demand that the attention and resources of government are relentlessly focused on making sure the Missions are delivering on what matters most to working people in every corner of the UK.
The milestones are part of the Prime Minister’s drive to do government radically differently, and will reflect the priorities of working people, allowing them to hold government to account on its progress.
Work to deliver them will be underpinned by innovation and reform, alongside close working with partners across business, civil society, and local government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This Plan for Change is the most ambitious yet honest programme for government in a generation.
“Mission-led government does not mean picking milestones because they are easy or will happen anyway. It means relentlessly driving real improvements in the lives of working people.
“We are already fixing the foundations and have kicked-started our first steps for change, stabilising the economy, setting up a new Border Security Command, and investing £22bn in an NHS that is fit for the future.
“Our Plan for Change is the next phase of delivering this government’s mission. Some may oppose what we are doing and no doubt there will be obstacles along the way, but this government was elected on mandate of change and our plan reflects the priorities of working people.
“Given the unprecedented challenges we have inherited we will not achieved this by simply doing more of the same which is why investment comes alongside a programme of innovation and reform.”
The relentless prioritisation will be at the heart of the choices made in the next Spending Review – which will look at every pound the government spends, line by line, taking a zero-based approach to how departments are funded.
The milestones will be underpinned by an ‘ambitious programme of public sector reform’, building on the reform work already started on planning, national infrastructure, pensions, industrial strategy, and the labour market.
As part of this work, the Prime Minister will also charge the new Cabinet Secretary and all Cabinet Ministers to reform Whitehall so that it is geared to Mission delivery rather than working in the traditional silos that focus on fiefdoms not outcomes.
Despite increases in funding for Scotland from the UK Government’s October Budget, Scottish Government Finance Minister Shona Robison has little room for manoeuvre when she presents her Budget for 2025-26 next week (write FRASER OF ALLANDER INSTITUTE’S Joao Sousa and Mairi Spowage).
This is the headline message of the Scotland’s Budget Report 2024, published yesterday by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde.
Significant Barnett Formula consequentials have been generated by UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcements last month – £1.5bn in 2024-25 (of which £1.4bn is resource) and £3.4billion in 2025-26 (of which £2.8bn is resource).
However, the Scottish Government has said the funding provided in the 2024-25 year is already largely committed. If this is the case, the uplift for 2025-26 is under more pressure than it would appear. On the resource side, this would mean an uplift of £1.4 bn in 2024-25 being followed by an uplift of £1.4bn in 2025-26.
Public Sector Pay makes up over half of the Scottish Government’s resource budget, and therefore the decisions made on pay will have significant bearing on the overall budget position. Wage bills recur every year, thus current and future 2024-25 pay decisions will have a big impact on the overall budgetary decisions.
The fact that public sector workers are, on average, paid more in Scotland, will mean that the challenges are even more acute, given the country’s much larger public sector. The decisions on this, and on areas like social security, have put additional pressure on the Scottish Government’s budget.
Dr João Sousa, Deputy Director of the Institute, said: “As part of our report today, we have published where we think the Scottish Government are in terms of their funding position for 2024-25.
“Figuring out the funding position for 2025-26 has been much more challenging. The lack of a Medium Term Financial Strategy this year has made calculating this near impossible, but we have set out the various pressures that the budget is likely to be under.
“Health Spending, all other pay, social security and grants to local government make up £7 in every £8 the Scottish Government spends. This seriously limits their room for manoeuvre in changing the overall shape of the Budget.”
The report includes significant analysis of how Scotland spends its money to understand more about the discretionary power the Government has to prioritise its budgetary decisions.
Also included is analysis of the impact of employer National Insurance Contribution rises on the Scottish Government’s Budget, and analysis of the cost to the Scottish Government of replicating the 40% retail, hospitality and leisure relief (RHL) announced by Rachel Reeves in Scotland.
Our analysis also that although spending on reducing child poverty – stated by successive Scottish First Ministers as one of the main, if not their utmost priority – has grown significantly since 2018-19, it would not be fair to say that it has become a large part of the Scottish Budget.
It remains under 3% of all discretionary resource funding, and capital spending on child poverty reduction through the provision of affordable housing and urban regeneration has actually fallen by 13% in real terms since 2019-20.
New analysis shows how improving employment standards, employee well-being and modernising industrial relations will benefit the economy
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak gave evidence to MPs as Employment Rights Bill enters committee stage
Making Work Pay agenda is an “urgent national mission” that is “good for workers and good for business”, says union body
New TUC analysis published yesterday (Tuesday) shows that even modest gains from the government’s workers’ rights reforms would benefit the UK economy by over £13bn a year.
The analysis models some of the key benefits of the Employment Rights Bill – identified by the government’s impact assessment of the Bill.
The research shows that even if the Bill just delivers small improvements in areas such as employee wellbeing, industrial relations and labour market participation the economic gains will outweigh any costs.
The analysis looks at the scale of the benefits implementing the Employment Rights Bill could bring across a range of workplace measures:
Workplace stress: Between £490 million and £974 million would be gained by reducing the number of working days lost to stress, depression or anxiety.
Staff well-being: Between £310 million and £930 million a year would be gained from improving staff well-being.
Minimum wage compliance: Between £42 million and £168 million a year would be gained through improving minimum wage compliance.
Strikes: Between £255 million and £510 million a year would be gained through resolving disputes that lead to workers taking action.
Industrial relations: Between £2.7bn and £8.1bn a year would be gained through reduced workplace conflict
Increased labour market participation: Between £1.3bn and £2.6bn a year would be gained through increasing employment for people currently looking after family or home.
The research shows that the cumulative impact of even modest improvements would be £13.3bn a year – and stronger outcomes could generate even greater gains.
The TUC says the analysis confirms the view of the government’s impact assessment that there is “clear, evidence-based benefits of government action through the Bill.”
The impact assessment also warns that “not acting would enable poor working conditions, insecure work, inequalities and broken industrial relations to persist.”
Evidence to MPs
The findings were published as TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak prepared to give evidence to MPs as the Employment Rights Bill enters its committee stage.
Nowak told parliamentarians that improving the quality of work in Britain is an “urgent national mission” that will benefit workers and businesses alike.
Polling published in July revealed huge backing across the political spectrum for boosting workers’ rights.
And polling published in September revealed that an overwhelming majority (75%) of employers support the government’s measures, including nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) of small businesses.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Far too many working people are trapped in jobs that offer them little or no security. We can’t carry on with this broken status quo.
“Improving the quality of work in this country is an urgent national mission that will bring real economic gains.
“Driving up employment standards, improving employee well-being and increasing labour market participation is good for staff and good for businesses.
“When workers are treated well they are happier, healthier and more productive.
“The Employment Rights Bill is a historic opportunity to make work pay – and to create a level playing field that stops good employers from being undercut by the bad.
“It must be delivered in full.”
Commenting on the impact of the Bill on employers, Paul added: “The TUC stands ready to work with the government and employers. We recognise that businesses and unions will need advice to understand and implement these changes.
“But there is no case for delaying the reforms. People need jobs they can build a decent life on.
“Many of the arguments being used against this legislation are the same ones that were used against introducing the minimum wage – one of the great policy successes of the last 25 years.
“They were wrong then and they are wrong now. When working people thrive so do businesses and the wider economy.”
Vision for progress in St Andrew’s Day address ahead of 2025-26 Budget
First Minister John Swinney will use an address ahead of St Andrew’s Day to outline his vision for government – and his determination to deliver government from the ground up.
The First Minister will set out the need for collaboration and consensus-building to deliver solutions to some of the problems facing communities in Scotland.
Speaking ahead of next week’s Scottish Budget, the First Minister will commit the Scottish Government to prioritising funding and investment needed to build on his four priorities – eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency.
The First Minister is expected to say: “Scotland is best served when we collaborate, when we build consensus and work together across sectors, across disciplines and across cultures.
“The need to do so has never been more urgent. For the issues we face now are complex, pervasive and entrenched – and they are mounting.
“In these last seven years, we have seen global challenges stacked upon global challenges. From Brexit and COVID-19, to international conflicts, economic crises and climate disasters.
“On top of this, we have seen domestic problems, such as delayed discharge and the availability of housing, become more and more acute, due to rapidly increasing need in our society.
“Yet, too often – and particularly in politics – discussions and the public discourse are dominated by surface solutions, because they are the few that can gain consensus.
“The temptation then arises to throw money and strategies at a problem, or simply to find someone to blame for it, because the hard work of finding true consensus, of peer reviewing ideas in good faith, can feel unrealistic in our increasingly polarised reality.
“We must maintain enough hope and energy to work together, to understand the root causes and the complexity of problems and to find the right solutions.
“These solutions may not always be quick or easy – but that does not make them any less necessary. This is the approach that people should expect from a Swinney government.
“I want to bring people closer to their communities, which is particularly important in a country like Scotland, where the picture in the Central Belt or the Borders can be so different to the Highlands or the Islands.
“Being closer to our communities also makes it easier for us to bring those communities into policy-making: government from the ground up.”
Scotland’s party leaders are being urged to unite and take bold, immediate action to overhaul the devolved tax system, to build a fairer, more prosperous, and sustainable future for all.
In an open letter, Tax Justice Scotland, a newly formed campaign group which represents over 50 Scottish civil society organisations, trade unions, economists, and academics, says that Scotland’s existing tax system is undermining public services while exacerbating economic and wider inequalities. They say it’s time to break free from short-termist tax policymaking.
Campaigners say that a fairer, more effective devolved tax system is needed if the Scottish Government is to deliver on its legal commitments to cut child poverty and tackle climate change, while avoiding damaging cyclical emergency budget cuts.
Ahead of the publication of Scotland’s new Tax Strategy and the 2025/26 Scottish Budget, the Tax Justice Scotland campaign is warning Scotland’s finances are “beyond breaking point”, while urging leaders to “stop dodging the hard but necessary decisions” on tax reform for future stability.
The letter says:
“Scotland’s finances are beyond breaking point. Tweaking the status quo on tax is not working; it’s failing our communities, our economy, and our planet. Inaction will condemn current and future generations to deepening inequality, crumbling public services and environmental collapse.
But you have the power to choose a different future.
To do so, you must choose to move beyond inadequate tweaks to our flawed tax system. It’s time to think beyond the narrow constraints of budget and electoral cycles to deliver a better and fairer tax system while ensuring those with the broadest shoulders carry the greatest weight of change.”
While the recent UK Budget will boost public spending and somewhat ease immediate finance pressures in Scotland, this won’t put Scotland’s public finances on a sustainable path.
The campaign is urging the Scottish Government to leverage the upcoming Tax Strategy as a catalyst for overdue and essential long-term reform.
Tax Justice Scotland also sets out a series of immediate steps the Scottish Government should take, using devolved powers, to make progress towards a fairer tax system:
Launch an immediate nationwide property revaluation, the first critical step to finally scrapping the outdated and unfair Council Tax. At the same time, Ministers must start the search for fairer, more equitable alternatives.
Kick-start a bold plan to tax wealth more fairly, ensuring those with the most contribute their share to Scotland’s future.
Make polluters pay for the damage they cause while encouraging greener, fairer business practices, including through reforms of existing Non-Domestic Rates and tax breaks.
On behalf of Tax Justice Scotland, Lewis Ryder-Jones, Oxfam Scotland’s Advocacy Adviser, said:“Scotland’s finances are perpetually teetering on the edge of a perilous precipice. Poverty and inequality are rampant, public services are badly stretched, and the climate crisis is escalating. Fairer taxes, alongside a fairer economy, and ensuring public money is well spent, can and must do more to secure a fairer, greener future for everyone.”
Tax Justice Scotland has been established to build public and political pressure for tax reforms in Scotland, as part of improved UK and global tax systems.
The letter coincides with growing global momentum on tax, with the leaders of G20 governments making a ground-breaking commitment to cooperate on taxing the world’s super-rich at a summit in Brazil last week.
Bold, well-designed changes to devolved taxes could build on this global momentum, unleashing more resources to invest in healthcare, education, social security and climate action while reducing the widening gap between the wealthy and the rest of society in Scotland.
Lewis Ryder-Jones added:“Scotland can lead the way in the UK and internationally. It’s time for our leaders to stop dodging the hard but necessary decisions, and instead start making the case that fairer taxes are good for the economy.
“We need grown-up tax governance that takes Scotland’s future seriously; moving beyond piecemeal, patchwork fixes and instead delivering a tax system that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”
The wholesale reform of the criminal justice sector required to tackle increasing financial pressures has been too slow, say the Criminal Justice Committee.
The Committee say organisations across the sector have said they are looking for increases in their resource funding and significant investments in capital budgets for 2025/26 but there is ‘a stark gap’ between what these organisations say they need for 2025/26 and what they may be given.
The Committee say that the wholesale reform of the sector which is required can only be achieved by adopting a new strategy, moving away from short term fixes of a few years or a single parliamentary term. It recommends that the Scottish Government explores moving to a system of multi-year funding cycles to help aid this reform.
Whilst a range of current reform work is welcomed, such as the pilot of the Summary Case Management system, there are other areas where progress on reform has been too slow.
The Committee again highlight the inefficiencies and wasted cost of citing police officers to attend courts, only for them not be called, and the time that the officers spend on calls with vulnerable people experiencing poor mental health due to a lack of wider support services.
The Committee welcome in-year investments by the Scottish Government in various parts of the criminal justice system, but call for increased transparency about these payments to ensure adequate scrutiny.
Issues around underestimating the costs of implementing new legislation impacting the sector are also highlighted in the report. The Committee call for financial memorandums to be as accurate as possible and say proposed legislation must be accompanied by appropriate resources.
The Criminal Justice Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said:“Right across the sector we are seeing increasing cost pressures, and it’s clear there is a stark gap between what these organisations say they need for 2025/26 and what they may be given.
“Last year we emphasised the need for change in how the Scottish Government fund and support the justice sector and that the status quo could not continue. However, progress still needs to be made to implement the wholesale reform required, which takes the long-term view.
“The evidence we have gathered has made clear that multi-year funding could be hugely beneficial for the sector, help them manage resources and plan for the future, and we’re calling for the Scottish Government to explore this route further.”
Mental Health Bill will give patients enhanced rights to make decisions regarding their own care, ensuring their voice is heard throughout the treatment process
Landmark reforms to better care for mental health patients one step closer to becoming law, with Second Reading of the Mental Health Bill in the House of Lords today
The Bill will also address inadequate care of people with a learning disability and autistic people, as well as reducing the number of unnecessary detentions
Long awaited legislation to reform care for mental health patients is one step closer to becoming law, as the Mental Health Bill has Second Reading in the House of Lords today (25th November 2024).
The Mental Health Bill, introduced earlier this month, will modernise the Mental Health Act, giving patients a greater say in their care, along with bolstered support from family and friends as part of treatment to ensure that their interests are protected and that their voice is heard throughout the treatment process.
Last year, over 50,000 people were detained under the Mental Health Act, but an independent review of the Mental Health Act, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, President of the Royal Society of Medicine, found rising rates of detention under the act, along with racial disparities, and poor patient experience especially for autistic people and those with a learning disability, with patients being detained unnecessarily and for longer than needed.
Alongside making it legal requirement for each patient to have a care and treatment plan, the Bill will also give patients the right to an Advance Choice Document, which can be used by patients to set out what they want their care to look like in the event of a mental health crisis.
These changes will ensure that care is tailored to individual needs and encourage patients to remain in contact with health services and continue to engage with treatment.
Police and prison cells will also no longer be used to place people who need care under the Mental Health Act. Instead, patients will be supported to access a suitable healthcare facility that will better support their needs.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said: “The Mental Health Act is there to protect people when they’re at their most vulnerable, and in many cases, it has saved lives. But it is hugely outdated, depriving people of their liberty, especially autistic people and people with a learning disability.
“We are now one step closer to bringing forward the essential reforms that will transform the care of some of our most vulnerable people, meaning patients receive the right care in the right place.
“Modernising the act will strengthen the decision-making processes, helping to better support people, and giving them the appropriate and compassionate care they need.”
The Bill will help deliver the government’s commitment to transform mental health care, giving it the same focus and attention as physical health.
It will also address unnecessary detentions for people with a learning disability or autistic people. At the end of October 2024, 1,880 people with these conditions were detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act, and research suggests that some would be better suited to care in the community.
If passed, the Act will limit the length of time that they can be detained under the Act if they do not have a co-occurring mental health condition that needs hospital treatment and have not committed a criminal offence.
Claire Murdoch, NHS national mental health director, said: “This Mental Health Bill is a once in a generation opportunity to ensure that patients experiencing serious mental illness and crises receive safe, modern, evidence-based care, and that the needs and wishes of patients and their loved ones are central to their care and better mental health outcomes.
“This comes alongside the NHS’s work to transform mental health services which are treating record numbers with existing resources – either through intervening earlier with hundreds of NHS teams working in schools, or trialling new 24/7 crisis mental health hubs to prevent people needing hospital care in the first place, and if an admission to hospital is needed the health service is working with local services to ensure this is delivered in a safe and therapeutic environment close to people’s homes.
Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: “This marks another important milestone towards the long overdue reforming and updating of the Mental Health Act to ensure people with severe mental illness are given greater control over their treatment and are not subjected to unnecessary detentions.
“Our members have long called for these reforms to address the unacceptable disparities in rates of detention for people from some ethnic minority backgrounds.
“The Bill should also stop patients with a learning disability and autistic people from being detained long-term, unless they also have a severe mental illness for which detention may be needed.
“This is a welcome step towards these vital reforms, and we look forward to working with the government to ensure there is enough capacity to implement the Bill’s plans.”
Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive, Rethink Mental Illness: “In the depths of a mental health crisis, everyone deserves care that respects their rights and gives them a say in their treatment. Today marks another milestone in the journey to reform the Mental Health Act, bringing us closer to vital legislation that’s fit for the 21st century.
“After years of tireless campaigning, we’re determined that this legislation fulfils its potential. We will support efforts to ensure the Bill passes through parliament to deliver meaningful, positive change for the tens of thousands of people detained under the Mental Health Act every year.
“In tandem, we will look to the new Ten Year Plan for the NHS to provide the resources and support necessary to ensure people receive the right care and treatment at the right time, to prevent people from experiencing a mental health crisis.”
Measures in the Bill will ensure patients, staff and the general public are better protected, through improved decision making and new processes requiring clinicians to seek a second opinion before discharging a patient. Discharge processes will also be reviewed more broadly and will include a safety management plan for the patient, to keep them and others safe.
FM’s pledge to ‘create the conditions for every person in Scotland to thrive’
First Minister John Swinney will this week pledge to ‘create the conditions for every person in Scotland to thrive’, as he urges the country to pull together in a spirit of collaboration to remove barriers to economic and social progress.
In a major speech to representatives from organisations across the public and private sectors ahead of St Andrew’s Day, Mr Swinney will reflect on his approach to leadership and why challenges must be ‘understood and solved from the bottom up’.
In the speech – which will be delivered one week before the publication of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget – the First Minister will say he is “here to do the hard work” in finding lasting solutions to improving people’s lives.
The First Minister is expected to say: “Every single day, I meet inspirational people from all walks of life – people who are doing their bit to make their community, their business or their country that wee bit better today than it was yesterday.
“When added together, those efforts form the engine of progress that is driving our country forward. For me, unlocking that potential is what government is about – it is about creating the conditions for every person in Scotland to thrive.
“I do not believe in trying to solve problems from the top down. Rather, I believe they need to be understood and solved from the bottom up. I am not here to dictate from on high to those on the front line.
I am prepared to roll my sleeves up every single day to properly understand barriers to their progress and to find solutions. And in identifying those solutions, I am not looking for quick-fixes or sticking plasters.
“I am here to do the hard work, to lay the foundations for lasting improvements to our country, our economy, and our society. I do not pretend that this style of government is always headline-grabbing, but I do believe it is effective. And, in the long run, I know the results will speak for themselves.”
