Living wage for all

Last week the SNP Government imposed a £500 million cut on local councils. That was the reality of their budget. (Not shocked any more; SN, 26/02/16)

Did I vote against that? Yes I certainly did.

The SIC has been left to fill a £9.3m hole in their budget. The council’s political leader has already condemned that cut for the impact it will have on our local services, notably schools where budgets have been cut to the bone.

Local people will see that the local SNP fully support their government’s cuts.

I support a living wage. On 13 May 2014 I voted for a Labour amendment to the Public Procurement Bill, which would have introduced a living wage of £7.65 to be paid across all public contracts.

The SNP used their majority to vote this down. My party is a living wage employer and I have called on the Scottish Government to roll-out the living wage amongst its contractors – not just in the care sector – and encourage its adoption across the private sector, so that it becomes the norm.

As council budgets are cut by the SNP fewer care workers will be employed. That is wrong given the ageing population. It may have passed the SNP but you cannot pay a living wage if you can’t afford to employ the care worker.

I will not support a SNP austerity budget when they have the powers to invest in local schools but chose not to use them.

Tavish Scott MSP
Commercial Street
Lerwick