Stopping drug deaths should be top priority

Dundee now has the two safest seats in the Scottish Parliament. It also has the worst drug deaths crisis in Europe. SNP representatives Shona Robison and Joe Fitzpatrick were returned to Holyrood in last week’s election with majorities of 13,337 and 12,919 respectively.

By any measure, it was an extraordinary public endorsement of the pair and a result that once again showed the City of Discovery is a fortress for the nationalists.

Yet the irony of the SNP being re-elected in Dundee in such a convincing fashion was not lost on some commentators.

This is, after all, a city which retained its unenviable position as drug deaths capital of Europe last year after figures showed fatalities increased from 66 in 2018 to 72 in 2019 – the sixth consecutive annual increase.

Meanwhile, Mr Fitzpatrick, who has represented Dundee City West for 14 years, was recently sacked from his role as public health minister for failing to get to grips with the crisis.

Nicola Sturgeon took the decision after figures showed 1,264 people died across Scotland from drugs in 2019 – the highest number in Europe and more than three times the rate in England and Wales.

Asked about the issue in an election TV debate, the first minister admitted the SNP had taken its “eye off the ball” on the drugs emergency. This, as Ms Sturgeon later acknowledged, was a poor choice of words which made it sound like she was apologising for forgetting to take the bins out rather than for presiding over a record number of preventable fatalities.

Interviewed by The Courier 10 days ago, Ms Sturgeon promised an increased focus on tackling the drugs crisis and pledged not to be knocked off course by constitutional wrangling or any other concerns.

Families affected by the scourge of drug addiction simply cannot risk the FM taking her eye off the ball again.

A good place to start would be local SNP representatives taking part in the cross-party summit organised by Labour’s new MSP, Michael Marra.

They owe the tens of thousands of Dundonians who have once again put their faith in them nothing less.