ARIANE BURGESS: Having more money to work with is essential – as is the bond of community spirit

At this time of year, it is customary to do a round-up of things that have happened over the previous twelve months, but we are living in challenging times that have been unfolding for a while, and I want to pause to acknowledge that.

2022 has been a year that continues to test our personal and community resilience, with the cost of living crisis knocking at pretty much everyone’s door. Now, as anticipated, we’re facing a bitterly harsh winter.

With climate change, severe winter storms and freeze will continue to occur. Infrastructure providers of energy, roads and digital connectivity must design resilient systems to ensure that no one goes without basic needs like warmth in their homes and the ability to be in touch.

But even if there are means for warmth, with the cost of living crisis, for far too many, energy is unaffordable. Too many people in the Highlands are faced with no choice but to go without heating their home. This cold shouldn’t be faced alone.

That is why the instinct still strong in our communities – to look after one another, must be supported.

With powers that Scotland does have, I am proud that with Greens in Government, we brought in emergency legislation to ensure that people who might have been facing homelessness or steep rent hikes are able to remain in their homes during the harshest of winters.

Now through the recently announced Scottish budget we continue to focus on our priorities for this session. Despite the tough economic backdrop, this is without doubt the Greenest budget in the history of the Scottish Parliament. With action to tackle poverty and cut pollution, this budget delivers for people and for planet.

By lowering the cost of travel, expanding free school meals and ensuring a fairer and more progressive tax system, we are turning long standing Green policies into a reality.

In this past year we worked with the Scottish Government to continue and increase the Scottish Child Payment to £25 a week for every child under 16. Now we’re putting hundreds of millions of pounds into programmes which help people heat their homes and reduce their fuel bills.

Supporting each other the way we are this winter must continue as we adapt to the ongoing shocks from climate change. As you can see from a few of our budget wins as Greens in Government, we are doing as much as we can to support local councils and communities to lead on local resilience.

Having more money to work with is essential, equally so are the bonds of community spirit – the best gift for everyone this winter.

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