Staying put

Plans to offer young people and families up to £50,000 to stay in or to move to islands threatened by depopulation in Scotland have been ditched by SNP ministers.

Yet another SNP failure…

Alastair Browne Now they are asking people to go to England to live as Scotland can't cope with the amount of homelessness we have. You really couldn't make this up.

Pauline Downie Not at all. It was put out to the islanders for discussion. They decided in the end that it wouldn’t achieve the desired effects. That’s democracy, a government that listens to its people.

Yvonne Mackay

No matter how they try, [the Scottish Government] just can't fail as bad as the UK Government… oh, wait a minute, we don't have one.

Buchanan George

It was a well- intended scheme to address a real problem on the islands. Feedback has been mixed so the scheme has been dropped. Shows that the minister has listened to the results of the consultation. Time to look for another initiative.

Graeme Clark I hope not – their track record with finding initiatives isn’t exactly inspirational is it?

Dave Workman

Surely locations such as these are about sustainable job prospects for prospective young residents and not financial handouts as considered, unless of course you're retired and choose to live there, a sheep farmer or enjoying a second owned holiday home…

Simon Usher

It was never about a “financial handout’. Folks were never going to be given a wedge of cash, and you know it.

Mike Buckley

Another SNP plan. Another failure. ill-conceived, total waste of money, with no reward at the end of it. Just another election promise hitting the dust.

Fiona Mcallister What a surprise, grandstand politics.

Mark Taylor

Meanwhile only the care and charity industries thrive in Scotland.

Nicholas Odinson It would never have worked, as soon as they tried to book a ferry…

Harris Grandly More ditches than an irrigation plant.

Mike Scales