Inside Holyrood: Focus of the campaign is on depopulation and providing people with affordable homes
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SNP candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Maree Todd explains what is behind her bid to succeed Gail Ross as constituency MSP.
The parliamentary term has ended and the campaign period has begun. My focus has turned entirely to securing a better, fairer Scotland for all.
My election campaign will be founded on optimism and a total belief in the abilities and talents of all the people who live here.
A core focus of my campaign for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross will be tackling depopulation. This is no small feat but as we rebuild from Covid, it has to be at the forefront of all decisions.
More affordable homes are part of the answer. We want our young people to have the opportunity to stay where they grew up and we want to attract more people in.
I want to see more land in the hands of communities too.
Just in the last week, Assynt Development Trust acquired a 55-acre site with the help of the SNP government’s Scottish Land Fund. The community group plans to use the land to build much-needed affordable homes – a great example of what can be achieved when we empower our local communities.
We also need more jobs and better, fairer opportunities in the Highlands if we are to truly address depopulation.
The SNP offers a positive vision in terms of job creation and fair work. Our four per cent pay rise for NHS staff is testimony to this. NHS Highland is one of our biggest employers here in the Highlands and under the SNP that workforce has increased by 26 per cent. Politics is about choices, and the SNP chooses to back our NHS.
Our plans for a National Care Service also seek to protect and create jobs. The pandemic highlighted our vulnerabilities and this vital step will help improve adult social care whilst also offering fair and secure employment.
We have already made progress in improving opportunities. As Minister for Children and Young People, I was incredibly proud to lead the implementation of 1140 hours of fully funded early learning and childcare.
This transformative policy relieves the burden of childcare costs, but it also levels the playing field, enabling women to work. Whilst gender inequality is prevalent nationally, studies suggest that this trend is exaggerated in some areas across the Highlands with men more likely to be in senior and higher paid positions. 1140 hours will help bridge this gap in the Highlands, offering women better opportunities and a fair chance to progress with their career.
Scotland’s recovery from COVID must be made in Scotland. Use both votes SNP to re-elect Nicola Sturgeon – a strong and experienced leader – who will continue to lead Scotland out of this pandemic and onto recovery. It’s also a vote for the people of Scotland’s right to choose their own future, in a post-pandemic referendum.
