Scottish Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury has implored the Scottish Government to make housing a priority in 2024.
Mr Choudhury has raised concerns over the festive period that hundreds could sadly be faced with rough sleeping this winter, with many more at risk of homelessness or living in what he says is unsuitable temporary accommodation.
Mr Choudhury says he is often inundated with casework where constituents are in poor quality temporary housing and are concerned about the lengthy waits for housing.
It is reported that there could be almost 30,000 people facing homelessness this year. Recent budget plans, however, will see a real-terms cut in homelessness prevention funding for local authorities of £500,000. Mr Choudhury says that this is unacceptable and that the Scottish Government must make it a priority in 2024 to give local authorities sufficient funding.
Mr Choudhury said: “I am reiterating my plea yet again this festive season to the Scottish Government to increase funding to local authorities, so that Councils can ensure that they can meet the demand for housing and have the capacity to build more social housing.
“We also must ensure that Councils have enough funding to make improvements and upgrades to current properties such as retrofitting, which could help improve conditions such as mould and damp which my constituents often report to me.
“Nobody in Scotland should be forced into homelessness or have to endure seemingly endless waiting in unsuitable housing.
“I am imploring the Scottish Government to ensure fair funding for local authorities so that they can invest what is needed in our social housing sector and I will continue to make it a priority to campaign for this in 2024.”
Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you had a great Christmas.
We can look back on a pretty momentous year. We’ve delivered record funding for the NHS and social care. Schools in England are surging up the global league tables.
We’re getting the economy growing. We’ve cut inflation in half. We’ve delivered the biggest business tax cut in modern British history.
And in just the last few weeks, we’ve seen an incredible £60 billion of investment into the UK. So my New Year’s resolution is to keep driving forward. In six days’ time, we’ll deliver a tax cut for 27 million people, worth on average £450.
Inflation is set to fall further, cutting the cost of living for everyone. And we’re not stopping there.
We’re going further to grow our economy by reducing debt, cutting taxes, and rewarding hard work, building secure supplies of energy here at home, backing British business and delivering world class education. And we’re taking decisive action to stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs.
From our incredible armed forces and NHS staff who take care of all of us. To our tech experts, scientists and innovators who are putting our economy at the global cutting edge.
We should look forward full of pride and optimism for what we can do together to build a brighter future for everyone. That’s what I’m determined to do, and I wish you all a very happy 2024.
Next year will see 11% real-terms rise in unsecured debt with household debt hitting record levels in 2026
Britain “cannot afford the Tories” – TUC General Secretary to warn in New Year Message
Paul Nowak calls for early general election to “end years of national decline”
The TUC has warned that families are facing a “debt timebomb”. The warning comes as new analysis from the union body reveals that unsecured debt (loans credit cards, purchase hire agreements) is set to increase by £1,400 in real terms next year, on average, per household.
The analysis of official statistics shows that in 2024 household unsecured debt is forecast to rise by 11%.
And over the course of the next parliament unsecured debt is set to rocket by £6,000 (+43%), on average, per family.
The union body warned that unsecured debt per UK household is on course to reach a record level of £17,200 by 2026 – exceeding the previous high of £16,800 set in 2007.
By 2028 unsecured debt per household is set to top £19,000.
Unsecured debt includes credit cards, loans and purchase hire agreements, and excludes mortgages. The TUC excluded student loans from the analysis.
Families left exposed
The TUC says working people have been left brutally exposed to rising costs after years of pay stagnation.
UK workers are on course for two decades of lost living standards with real wages not forecast to recover to their 2008 level until 2028.
The TUC estimates that the average worker would now be £14,800 better off if their pay had kept up with pre-crisis real wage growth trends since 2008.
The union body says the sharp spike in debt, along with stagnant living standards, will “more than wipe out” any gains from the Chancellor’s cut to national insurance tax and leave many families “under the cosh”.
The Office for Budget Responsibility says the period between 2021 and 2024 will be the worst for living standards (real household disposable income per person) since records began in 1955.
New Year’s Message
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns that Britain “cannot afford the Tories” in his annual New Year Message. Calling for an early general election, he said: “Every month the Tories stay in office the more families will be pushed into debt.
“This party of out-of-touch millionaires is more focussed on clinging to power than on growing our economy and getting living standards rising again. If something doesn’t change, real wages won’t recover to their 2008 levels until 2028.
“These 13 years of economic stagnation have left working people brutally exposed to the cost of living crisis. We cannot afford a Tory government for one day longer.”
Highlighting the choice on offer at the next election, Nowak said: “After years of national decline, Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a gamechanger. It would be the biggest expansion of workplace rights in a generation.
“No more zero-hours contracts and no more fire and rehire. Employment rights from day one. Union rights to access the workplace. New fair pay agreements. Repealing the attacks on the right to strike.
“And more than that, the prospect of a new era of a grown-up, constructive approach to industrial relations, where disputes are solved through negotiation.
“And a clear commitment to put unions and employers at the heart of a modern-day industrial strategy.”
Highlighting the TUC’s ongoing campaign against the government’s new anti-strike laws, Paul Nowak said: “Nobody withdraws their labour lightly. It is the last resort when employers refuse to talk and refuse to compromise.
“The action taken by union members [in 2023] forced bosses across the country back to the negotiating table and secured better deals. Unions will do everything in our power to defend that right to strike. It is a cornerstone of our democracy.
“We won’t be intimidated by this government, and we won’t be bullied. The Tories’ Strikes Act is toxic, unworkable, undemocratic and likely illegal. And it’s a brazen attempt to try stop working people winning better pay and conditions.
“The entire trade union movement will rally behind any worker who is sacked for exercising their right to strike.”
As another New Year dawns, I’d like to pass on my best wishes for 2024 to my fellow Scots at home and abroad.
As we get ready to make our resolutions for the year to come, it is also time to take stock of the departing 12 months.
Looking back, we have worked hard on our mission to level up communities across Scotland.
Creating equality of opportunity for all – regardless of background – has been our ambition. Our levelling up initiatives are doing this by helping people and their neighbourhoods flourish.
Listening to local communities – and working closely with the Scottish Government and councils – is bearing fruit on our investments.
In 2023 we broke through the £2.9 billion barrier when it comes to UK Government levelling-up investment in Scotland.
Among the highlights of the last 12 months have been the creation of two Freeports with a UK Government investment of £26 million each, one on the Firth of Forth and the other on the Cromarty Firth.
These were followed by the establishment of two Investment Zones in Glasgow and the North East, both of which are benefitting from up to £160 million each from the UK Treasury.
Businesses in these areas will get special tax breaks and other support to help them flourish and create jobs.
Seven Scottish towns are receiving £20 million each as part of our Towns Fund. Levelling Up Partnerships have also been set up which will result in Dundee, the Western Isles, Argyll and Bute and Dumfries and Galloway receiving £20 million each. This funding will help transform these communities, boosting investment and jobs.
And 2023 saw the announcement of two further rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, which will pay for multi-million-pound community investment right across Scotland.
Along with my ministerial colleagues in the Scotland Office, Malcolm Offord and John Lamont, it has been great to visit many of these projects and see for ourselves the difference they are making.
Reflecting on 2023, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform legislation.
The decision to issue a Section 35 Order for the first time in the history of devolution was not one which I took lightly. But when faced with proposals that would have an adverse impact on reserved equalities legislation I felt there was little option other than to act. I strongly believe the comprehensive judgement issued by Lady Haldane in the UK Government’s favour entirely justifies this stance.
Scotland is famous across the world for our culture and sport. We were delighted to contribute to the arts scene by contributing almost £9 million to the world-famous Edinburgh festivals.
I was thrilled that Scotland’s men’s team qualified for next year’s European Championships. It was a pleasure to welcome Steve Clarke to Dover House when we hosted a reception marking the 150th anniversary of the Scottish Football Association. Like all Scotland fans I’m tremendously excited by the thought of our team going to Germany in 2024.
A highlight of 2023 for so many was the Coronation of King Charles III. As Scottish Secretary I was greatly honoured to play a small part in an uplifting and moving ceremony which marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the United Kingdom.
I know that for many people the last few years have been extremely difficult. We are still feeling the impact of the Covid pandemic and Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine has put pressure on our economy. Under the leadership of Rishi Sunak, the UK Government has made great strides in bringing inflation down.
And just as the broad shoulders of the UK Treasury provided unprecedented support during Covid, we have provided unprecedented financial help to tackle the cost of living crisis. Our £105 billion funding package is providing each household with an average of £3,700 in support.
By working together as one United Kingdom we can withstand the challenges the coming months and years throw at us.
And, looking ahead to 2024, my resolution is to keep working to bring more prosperity and jobs to Scotland. With that in mind, I’m looking forward to the opening of the Perth Museum, backed by £10 million from the UK Government and which will be a splendid new home for the Stone of Scone.
We will also see the signing of the full growth deals for Falkirk and Argyll and Bute, partnerships in which we will invest £40 million and £25 million respectively. And yet more money for community projects as we continue our levelling up mission.
Just before Scottish Ministers slashed Scotland’s affordable homes budget by 26 per cent, Glasgow last month (November 30) became the latest major local authority in Scotland to declare a “housing emergency”, following the lead of Edinburgh and citing “unprecedented pressures” facing the council’s services (writes RICCARDO GIOVANACCI).
While of course there is a political element to these dramatic gestures – Labour-led Edinburgh is blaming Holyrood and SNP-led Glasgow is pointing the finger at Westminster – the declarations are a sure sign that the housing market isn’t working and that something needs to be done.
New statistics just released (December 13) show that the country’s housing crisis is intensifying, with plummeting numbers of both new starts and completions. Starts were down 24%, meaning that the crisis will only become more acute in years to come.
In more pragmatic times, before the private rental sector became public enemy No 1 in the eyes of some of the country’s more radical politicians, private landlords would have stepped into this breach and filled the gap between supply and demand.
They would have done this by bringing properties to market which would have accommodated a fluid and flexible population of tenants at rents they could afford until they found homes of their own or longer-term social rentals which suited their needs.
Now, however, many of the landlords who might previously have provided this service are abandoning the market, driven out by increasingly punitive legislation, fewer tax breaks, rent controls and the mora attractive market of holiday let sites such as Airbnb.
Is this sea change factored in to the concept of a housing emergency in the City Chambers of our great cities? There is little evidence to suggest that it is. Instead, councillors, single-issue charities and NGOs focus exclusively on the perceived plight of tenants. There is a marked lack of balance in current political thinking.
There does not appear to be much in the way of appreciation that elements such as the cost of living, rents, running costs, disposable income and inflation impact on landlords as well as the people for whom they are providing a roof over their heads.
Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie was told in April this year by delegates at the Scottish Property Federation that rent control legislation he introduced the previous year had led to investors pulling millions of pounds out of Scotland.
Despite such warnings, the word on the street is that the Scottish Government is considering making the temporary restriction imposed on rent increases to help with the cost of living into a permanent rent control.
It is all very well to criticise others for inaction or for incomprehension of the seriousness of the situation, but what can realistically be done to help alleviate this escalating crisis?
Here are five suggestions which might go some way to help:
The overall tax burden on landlords needs addressed. They are currently taxed full amount and there needs to be a reward to encourage further investment, since the activity is by no means risk-free. There is nothing at the moment withing the tax regime to encourage participants into the sector.
Landlords should be treated with respect, rather than the current disdain. They are responsible grown-ups who want happy tenants. Longer-term lets are in everybody’s interest.
There is no reason not to keep regulation as it is. Landlords have factored the current regime in. But upcoming legislation needs more balance, as it is too heavily weighted in favour of tenants at the moment.
Rent caps are not working and experts said they wouldn’t work. The Government and other interested parties should listen to advice from professionals when it is asked for.
Career advice for young people to consider the trades as a career to improve housing stock in long term.
These are simply suggestions, but the more the parties involved in Scotland’s housing market can work together, rather than against each other, the more likely it is that the current and future crises will ease.
Riccardo Giovanacci is Managing Director at Glasgow-based Rosevale Letting.
Scottish Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury has raised alarm bells about the latest funding arrangements for Scotland’s culture sector.
There are no year-on-year, real-terms cuts to the culture budget in this year’s budget, with the overall culture budget increasing from £180.8m to £196.6m. However, total culture funding is still less than what it was in 2022-23 – equivalent to a £13.2m cut in real terms.
Foysol Choudhury, Scottish Labour’s Culture Spokesperson, said: “Scotland’s vibrant cultural sector has huge potential and a pivotal role to play in the future of the Scottish economy.
“Sadly, the SNP are sleeping at the wheel and have given up on trying to build a positive future for Scotland’s arts and culture sector.
“Whilst the increased support in this year’s budget is welcome, it comes after years of neglect and total culture funding is still facing a cut in real terms from 2022-23’s funding.
“The arts and culture sector has been crying out for increased funding for so long, yet the offer now presented it simply insufficient.
“The SNP has been treating culture as disposable when they need it to be-I will be working hard for my constituents to hold the SNP to their promises to double culture funding within 5 years.”
The Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee had previously raised concerns that the culture sector in Scotland is suffering from a “perfect storm” of crises. A storm, Mr Choudhury says, which hasn’t yet been weathered: “The new funding arrangements for culture do not go far enough for our struggling cultural sector.
“Trust from the sector has worn thin and these inadequate funding arrangements, which will likely still lead to struggles in the sector, may be the final straw.
“The SNP Government must urgently recognise the value and contribution of Scotland’s culture sector and help to save it before it is too late, instead of wasting tax-payer’s money on an Independence Minister.”
Delivering the building blocks for Scotland’s future?
More than £5 billion is being invested in building a fair, green and growing economy which creates jobs, supports businesses and helps finance Scotland’s public services and the transition to net zero.
Despite one of the most difficult financial climates since devolution, the Scottish Budget 2024-25 maintains its focus on core priorities and drives forward a government-wide approach to economic transformation.
Measures include allocating £67 million to kickstart a five-year commitment to develop Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain and ensure the country reaps the benefits of the global expansion in wind power. This brings total Scottish public sector support for offshore wind to £87 million next year.
The Budget also boosts annual investment in digital connectivity from £93 million to £140 million in 2024-25, delivering critical infrastructure to enable businesses to innovate and grow while connecting more than 114,000 homes and companies in rural areas to gigabit-capable broadband through the R100 programme.
Since entrepreneurship is at the heart of Scotland’s economic strategy, a further £9 million investment in the Techscalers programme will support the country’s best start-ups with world-class mentoring. The Scottish Government is also prioritising the implementation of Ana Stewart and Mark Logan’s Pathways report, focused on helping more women to start and grow businesses.
The Budget also includes:
putting almost £2.5 billion into public transport to provide viable alternatives to car use, and a further £220 million in active travel to promote walking, wheeling and cycling
providing £358 million to continue accelerating energy efficiency upgrades and installation of clean heating systems
increasing the education and skills budget by £128 million
investing £49 million to promote the re-use of resources and reduce consumption, modernise recycling and decarbonise waste disposal as part of Scotland’s transition to a circular economy
Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray said: “Our focus is on creating new opportunities for a highly productive, competitive economy, providing thousands of new jobs, embedding innovation and boosting skills.
“We are using all the powers we have to support business and to achieve our ambitious net zero targets. Our strategic investment in offshore wind will stimulate and support private investment in the infrastructure and manufacturing facilities critical to the growth of the sector, and we are delivering a real-terms increase in the education budget to help boost skills and increase productivity. As a priority, we will also consult on options for improving the capacity of local authority planning services.
“Scotland’s finances face a worst-case scenario of underinvestment, which means we must make the difficult choices necessary to focus our limited resources on what will deliver most effectively for people and businesses.
“We’ve seen an Autumn Statement that prioritised a tax cut over investing in public services and infrastructure. The Scottish Government cannot follow this, and has not shied away from taking the tough decisions needed to protect and grow this country’s economy.”
COSLA: Council Tax Freeze is NOT Fully Funded
The Scottish Government has delivered a major blow to communities and has put councils at financial risk with a cash cut to Local Government in its draft Budget (published on 19th December) and no provision for inflation or pay increases, COSLA said.
COSLA Leaders described the draft Budget as not only leaving councils at real and significant financial risk for the coming year, but as it stands, it will mean cuts in every community in Scotland and job losses across Scottish Local Government.
Following a full meeting of Council Leaders yesterday (Thursday) COSLA said that whatever way the Government presents the figures, the reality is that once again the people in our communities have been left at the end of the queue.
That is why we are calling for urgent discussions with Scottish government to ensure a meaningful negotiation on the budget takes place before the final budget is presented to Parliament.
Speaking yesterday afternoon, COSLA’s President Councillor Shona Morrison said: “COSLA’s initial analysis, shows a real terms cut to our revenue and capital spending power which will leave Council services at breaking point, with some having to stop altogether.
“The Budget in its current form could result in service cuts, job losses and an inevitable shift to providing statutory services only. This means potentially losing Libraries, leisure centres and all the things that improve our lives.
“COSLA’s initial analysis of the Budget is that the Council Tax freeze is not fully funded. Leaders from across Scotland agreed today that decisions on Council Tax can only be made by each full Council, and it is for each individual Council to determine their own level of Council Tax.
“With any sort of shortfall in core funding, the £144m revenue offered for the freeze is immediately worth less.”
COSLA Vice President Steven Heddle said: “Despite the Verity House Agreement rhetoric about working together on shared priorities it is the same outcome at Budget time for Local Government in reality.
“The Scottish Government is claiming to protect public services, but are not protecting the essential public services provided by councils– Scotland’s councils are key, they deliver your homecare, schools, road maintenance, street lighting, leisure and waste services and have been locked out again.
“We needed increased funding to cope with inflation, but have been given less instead. The cut to Revenue funding we have been given is a devastating blow and the cut to our Capital funding means that we will be unable to meet our targets in terms of a move towards Net Zero and mitigating climate change targets.”
COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said: “The Scottish Government has disappointingly failed to recognise that investment in Councils is investment in cities, towns and villages across Scotland. As it stands, this is not a good Budget for our communities or the people who deliver our essential front-line services.
“This is a Budget which will mean job losses – real jobs that support families, and deliver vital services that make a positive difference to people’s lives. Sadly, the budget as it stands, leaves nothing for meaningful pay rises in 24/25 so we would call on the Scottish Government to look again, so that our workforce can get the pay rise they deserve next year.”
The Scottish Government will not appeal the judgment in the judicial review challenging the UK Government’s use of a Section 35 order to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
The UK Government’s intervention and subsequent judicial ruling means the Bill cannot proceed to Royal Assent and be enacted.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Gender Recognition Reform Bill was passed by a majority of the Scottish Parliament and we will not be withdrawing it. However, the UK Government’s unprecedented use of Section 35 means the Bill cannot proceed to Royal Assent.
“If the current UK Government is willing to work together and indicate the changes they would find acceptable we will happily sit down with them. However, it seems that my counterparts at Westminster will not do this, and it remains to be seen what a future government will do.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to supporting and empowering LGBTQI+ people in Scotland. We will continue to work across government towards a society that is equal and fair, and where everyone can live as they are.
“Devolution is fundamentally flawed if the UK Government is able to override the democratic wishes of the Scottish Parliament. We will be ready to challenge its use on future Scottish legislation, and to protect the democratic will of this parliament.”
The UK Government will seek expenses from the Scottish Government for the Section 35 legal battle over the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, Alister Jack has confirmed.
Scottish Trans told supporters: “We are bitterly disappointed about this, as we know many of you will be. The current process to update the sex recorded on our birth certificates is intrusive and difficult.
“Last year’s Bill was not perfect, but it was a huge step forward towards a much fairer and simpler process – so that in those rare but important moments in life where you need your birth certificate you can hand over ID that shows who you truly are.
“So many of us worked really hard to help people understand why the law needed to change – and it’s important to remember that we succeeded, with a large majority of our MSPs voting in favour of the changes last year.
“We’re pleased that the Scottish Government intends to keep the Bill on the Scottish Parliament’s books, meaning that even though it can’t currently gain royal assent and become law, it could at a later date if the Section 35 order was lifted. While it’s clear that there is no path forward with the current UK Government to removing the block on the Bill, we hope that we won’t have to wait too long until a time where the political situation changes.
“When it does, we will be strongly urging the Scottish and UK Governments to get round the table so that the Bill can move forward, and so Scotland can join the growing number of places around the world with progressive, fair and modern laws that respect trans people’s human rights.
“We were pleased to hear the Scottish Government restate their support for trans equality, and to other commitments they have made to improve our lives.
“There’s a lot more to do to make Scotland (and the wider world) a place in which trans people can live happy and healthy lives beyond gender recognition reform, and we will be working as hard as we can to contribute to those positive changes.
“This is a setback and a disappointment – but once we’ve had a minute to catch our breath and rest over the holidays, we will get right back to work.
“We know that some of you will have been holding off on applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate using the current system, in the hope that you could use the fairer and simpler process that, if the UK Government had made a different choice, might even have just about been in place by now.
“Given the uncertainty around when things might change, if you want to apply for a GRC we think that the best thing to do would be to use the existing application process. We are always happy to help you make sense of how to apply – so please be in touch if you need us.
“We know that others might be unable to apply using the current process, because of all of the barriers it contains. We’re thinking of you today. If you’re upset, frustrated, disappointed – we are too. Please reach out and talk to the people around you if you need to.
COSLA Vice President Councillor Steven Heddle has sent a strong warning to the Scottish Government that any Council Tax Freeze must be fully funded.
COSLA’s message is a response to comments made to the media by Deputy First Minister Shona Robison on Sunday.
Councillor Heddle said: “There were a few things in the comments made by the Deputy First Minister yesterday (Sunday) that I am uncomfortable with on behalf of COSLA, our member councils and the communities that we represent.
“Firstly, the Deputy First Minister cannot decide or unilaterally say that the ‘Council Tax freeze to stay’- it’s up to 32 individual council to decide if they have a council tax freeze or not, not her government.
“Secondly, unless it is funded with additional money for each council that allows them to fund their planned Council Tax increases, then it is not fully funded, and it will be our service users who will suffer as a consequence.
“The funding for the freeze needs to be transparently additional and consolidated into our Budgets for future years.”
“The DFM also mentioned the ‘Changing shape of public sector workforce’. Local Government’s workforce has already changed shape drastically. Between 2006 and 2018, the Local Government workforce reduced by 15% (35,000 FTE) before Scottish Government policies such as Early Learning and Childcare added staff back in from 2019.
“The Scottish Government workforce has nearly doubled since 2006; staffing in non-departmental bodies has also doubled and in Scottish Government agencies, staffing has grown by 15%. These increases have added more than 7,000 FTE staff in just over 15 years.
“The Verity House Agreement was designed to ensure positive working between Scottish Local Government and The Scottish Government, and a focus on better outcomes and person-centred services.
“The VHA has three priorities – to tackle poverty, particularly child poverty; to transform our economy through a just transition to deliver net zero, recognising climate change as one of the biggest threats to communities across Scotland; and deliver sustainable person-centred public services.
Local Government will be unable to contribute to these if underfunded.
“COSLA knows that Scottish Government is under pressure financially around this Budget. However, the Council Tax freeze came out of the blue and has serious financial implications.
“And any suggestions that Local Government’s workforce needs cut further will have serious consequences for communities.”
Former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has thrown his weight behind Sarah Boyack’s campaign for a full replacement of the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion.
In a recently published video, Gordon Brown highlighted the urgent need for a new Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, citing his own experience with the service.
In his endorsement, Brown labelled the idea that the Eye Pavilion may be lost from Edinburgh ‘a tragedy’.
Having lost sight in one eye while a teenager, Gordon Brown draws on 50 years of experience being a patient at the current Princess Alexandria Eye Hospital, to highlight the critical need for new facilities.
Gordon Brown is the latest political figure to back this campaign, after a cross-party group of MSPs wrote to Michael Matheson to demand the funding for a new Eye Pavilion.
Commenting on Gordon Brown’s intervention, Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “There is no one I would rather have than Gordon Brown, to join the campaign for a new Eye Pavilion.
“Gordon knows first-hand how critical this project is to patients across the Lothians, and beyond.
“Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson must listen to the breadth of support that a new Eye Pavilion has.
“This is not about party politics; this is about coming together to ensure the Scottish Government delivers a project that is vital for patients in Edinburgh.
“It’s vital that the Scottish Government provides the funding urgently needed for a new eye hospital in Edinburgh. Patients deserve nothing less than a modern hospital that is fit for purpose.”
