Scottish Government must follow Rachel Reeves’ lead and prioritise housing

Rachel Reeves has wasted no time in announcing how the new Labour Government intends to fix the UK’s housing crisis.

The first female Chancellor in history promised to get Britain building again by bringing back housebuilding targets and overhauling the planning system.

She also ended a ban on onshore wind farm developments. Homes could quickly be built on industrial brownfield land and some areas of already-developed green belt.

As a result there should be hundreds of new wind turbines and hundreds of thousands of new homes, every year.

But these changes largely only impact England. Scotland doesn’t lack wind farms. But it does lack affordable housing.

The Scottish Government dropped the ball on this when it mindlessly voted through a £196million cut to its affordable housing budget earlier this year.

SNP ministers have since tried to blame everyone bar themselves for this calamitous move.

Anti-poverty campaigners, charities and housebuilders all warned in advance it was the wrong decision. Scotland needs more homes, and fast.

The Record has led the way in revealing the extent of our broken housing system and the devastating impact it has on thousands of Scots.

Homelessness is on the rise as too many people simply cannot afford to keep a roof over their heads. Eight local authorities in Scotland have already declared a housing emergency.

The Scottish Government must now follow Rachel Reeves’ lead and prioritise planning reform to get the nation building again.

The country cannot fall behind.

A great result

Children such as butterfly skin teenager Isla Grist suffer horrific pain every day so the SMC decision to approve a groundbreaking treatment is to be applauded.

Isla has epidermolysis bullosa, which causes skin to blister at the slightest touch.

Scotland legend Graeme Souness, a pal of wee Isla’s, had urged the SMC to approve Filsuvez, a birch bark extract sterile gel for EB wounds.

In trials the gel has been found to have incredible results, assisting full wound closure and reducing the area of the body covered in sores.

This has to be positive news for Isla and hundreds of other Scots that there could be a better life for them.

Souness and his team, including Isla’s dad, swam the Channel to raise money for research into treatments like this.

It is vital this crucial research continues for even better treatments which could lead to an entirely
pain-free existence.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.