MSP: Holyrood budget is bold and progressive

This month saw our official exit from the European Union. This was an incredibly poignant event, and while for now it’s business as usual, there’s still frighteningly little detail about what situation Scotland will be in once the transition period is over.

My SNP colleagues in Westminster provide the most robust and discerning scrutiny of Boris Johnson’s Government, as leaderless Labour continue their search for someone to unite the party, an unlikely quest…

This week the Scottish Government presented a bold and positive budget, with a record £15 billion spending on health and care services that will support our vital NHS service and the care facilities we so greatly need.

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We know in Scotland that the proportion of our economically-active population is shrinking.

Scotland has distinct demographic and geographical needs which are not being met by the current UK immigration service.

The Scottish Government’s Scottish Visa proposal was immediately rejected by Boris Johnson and his administration, with what can only be characterised as a blatant disregard for the increasing risks to our economy and public services which inhibit the prosperity we could so easily be capable of.

However, the Scottish Government is not going to idly stand by, and while our hands are tied by Westminster on immigration policy, we are securing record funding for our front-line services to care for our vulnerable people.

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These funding commitments – unparalleled funding for health and social care, £1.8 billion committed to supporting low-carbon infrastructure and accelerating Scotland’s transition to a net-zero economy, and £645 million for early learning and children – reinforce the Scottish Government’s dedication to investing in our public services and seriously tackling climate change, the most pressing issues of our lifetime.

Recently I met with representatives of Rob Roy FC alongside my Westminster counterparts Amy Callaghan MP and Stuart McDonald MP, to discuss the urgency around the proposed sports hub in Kirkintilloch and which is crucial in safeguarding the future of the football club.

This is also a facility that the community would gain great benefit from, so I am working to seek assurances that, despite its setbacks, the sports hub will become a reality.

In the Parliament I hosted Contact Family, an organisation that serves as a facilitator of safe communication between separated parents or family members.

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They do this by filtering out the phrases that convey tension or hostility, to keep a communication line open which is productive and takes away the possibility of further relationship breakdown.

I was delighted to support their work, as all too often in scenarios of familial breakdown we know the children can become the ‘go-between’, putting them into an incredibly difficult position. Communication isn’t easy, particularly with people we are very close to, and while re-establishing boundaries that keeps everyone safe is a tricky and delicate task, it is vital.

As ever, if you have any issues you think I may be able to help with, please call in to my office at 18a Townhead, Kirkintilloch. Surgeries are Monday mornings and Fridays between 4pm-5.30pm. No appointment necessary, but you can book one through www.ronamackay.scot or phone 0141 776 1561.