Public transport a key plank of recent budget
With temperatures dropping and prices soaring, it’s going to be a difficult winter for many folks in Strathearn.
For far too many people, this is a time of year when the pain of poverty and inequality becomes even greater.
This time round, things are being made even harder by punishing inflation and interest rates and skyrocketing energy bills.
That instability was the backdrop of the recent Scottish Budget.
Despite the gloomy circumstances, there was a lot in the budget that we can be very proud of.
We went into budget negotiations with two key areas of focus – tackling child poverty and climate action – and this budget included important progress.
One of the things I’m proud of – particularly as transport spokesperson
– is securing the commitment to trial the scrapping of peak fares on Scotland’s railways.
This is a big step and a crucial precedent for the UK that will begin later in 2023.
It will save money for families and people who must commute for work and currently pay double what they would for an off-peak ticket.
It is a key part of our drive to ensure that public transport can be the first, best and affordable choice in our communities.
By investing in public transport and keeping fares low we can reduce the number of car journeys that are happening every day by providing a credible and affordable alternative.
And this vital policy will build on the success of free bus travel for everyone under 22, which has already seen over 550,000 young people taking 35 million free journeys – over 50 per cent of eligible young people in Perth and Kinross have already taken up this incredible opportunity.
But we’re not just taking serious action on transport – the scale of the cost of living crisis means this budget had to deliver transformative measures across all departments.
That’s why we are continuing the Fuel Insecurity Fund, using the £20 million that was previously earmarked for an independence referendum and ensuring extra money for carers and Adult Disability Payments.
That’s why we are investing an extra £50 million in expanding free school meals in primary schools.
And that’s why we’re investing £2.2 billion in climate action – making it the greenest budget since devolution.
This includes £366 million for programmes to tackle fuel poverty and reduce energy use in buildings, bringing down bills at the same time as reducing emissions.
These steps show the impact of having Green voices around the table, but, more importantly they will also have a real life impact for people and communities across Scotland.
The recent budget is a concrete step towards the fairer, greener society that I believe in and want to see.
But, if we are to end the some of the most harmful Tory attacks on the most vulnerable communities and make the fundamental changes that are needed in areas including energy, we must move beyond mitigation. We will need the powers of a normal independent country.
Until that day, we will continue to do all we can to reach the limits of what we can achieve with devolution and to ensure that Green priorities and values run right the way through everything we are doing.