Weakened SNP forced to declare homes emergency
THE SNP was yesterday forced into declaring a nationwide housing emergency to avoid defeat during a Holyrood vote.
Scottish Labour, which previously had a bid to declare an emergency voted down by the former SNP and Green coalition, tabled the motion for a second time.
Ahead of the debate, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Scottish Government, which cut almost £200million from the housing budget in December, would now be declaring the emergency.
She blamed Westminster, claiming inflation, Brexit and the 9 per cent cut to the capital block grant had all contributed to the crisis. But Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland claimed the cut to the capital budget ‘does not justify a 26 per cent cut to the housing budget’.
She added: ‘The housing budget was singled out for a huge cut. We have to see that cut reversed.’
Housing minister Paul McLennan told the parliament: ‘Today’s debate offers a chance to recognise the current housing emergency in Scotland, the reasons behind it and what we can do collectively to tackle it.’
But Labour’s Mark Griffin, who brought forward the motion, said: ‘I have been absolutely clear that we need to build more houses. I’m glad the government has finally admitted we have a problem.’
Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘The SNP have had to be dragged kicking and screaming into this long overdue acceptance of reality’.’
First Minister John Swinney said his government now ‘recognises the seriousness’ of the housing situation, which has seen five local authorities, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, declare their own housing emergencies.
Critics have warned that similar political declarations have not always resulted in a crisis being brought under control.
In 2019, the SNP declared the drug death crisis a public health emergency, only for the number of fatalities to soar.
The climate crisis emergency has also failed to prevent the scrapping of emissions targets.
A UK Government spokesman said: ‘The Scottish Government is well funded with around 25 per cent more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the UK.
‘Alongside a record £41billion per year settlement from the UK, the Scottish Government can borrow up to £450million a year to enhance capital investments.’
‘Dragged kicking and screaming’
THE SNP’s declaration of a national housing emergency is yet more hollow rhetoric from the party which created the crisis.
Its bid to blame Brexit and Westminster will fool no one – housing has been the sole responsibility of the Scottish Government for 25 years.
Scots benefit from £1,521 more net expenditure per person than people across the UK – the Union dividend – and public spending increased by 21 per cent in 2022/23. Yet the Nationalists and Greens cut almost £200million from next year’s housing budget – and the rate of housebuilding here has plummeted.
Homelessness is at record levels, with a 10 per cent rise over the last year to 30,000.
Instead of building more homes, the SNP chose to focus on ill-fated attempts to scrap gas boilers and install expensive heat pumps.
Onerous rules and regulations including rent caps have exacerbated the problem – driving many landlords out of the business.
The SNP has also declared a climate emergency and a drugs death emergency, to little effect – tragically, drug-related fatalities have risen by 11 per cent in the past year.
Shameless gesture politics won’t provide shelter for the thousands of Scots sleeping rough – or desperate for a permanent roof over their heads.