Progress on multiple fronts, more needed - Miles Briggs
Considering how long a month January can feel, it is incredible how quickly this year has raced by. I say it every year, but it really has gone so quickly and so much has happened over the last twelve months.
The turn of the year often presents a chance to reflect on what has dominated the local and national agendas.
One of these issues has been to target the antisocial behaviour that has plagued Edinburgh of late. I am pleased to say that there have been great strides taken to challenge this and that Police Scotland’s diligence and hard work has paid off, which was most notable at Bonfire Night.
As ever, there is room for improvement, but we are heading in the right direction. With the help of law-abiding residents we can defeat this scourge.
As Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education my portfolio has not surprisingly dominated my work in Parliament, from campaigning to increase the number of Additional Support Need Assistants in classrooms across Lothian and Scotland to working to demand action to address the increased levels of violence in our classrooms and the mental health crisis now hitting our teachers and schools.
After 18 years in power, SNP Ministers have not delivered the educational opportunities we all want to see our young people being able to access, and it is important to me that we change that.
I will continue to raise this issue with Ministers to ensure our young people are given the best opportunities with which to succeed.
Readers will also be aware of my ongoing campaign to secure a better deal for Edinburgh and Lothian, and I have continued to fight for fair funding for NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council – both of which receive the lowest levels of funding per capita in Scotland.
Moreover, I have campaigned alongside Marie Curie and St Columba’s Hospice to ensure fair funding for our hospice sector and I will continue into 2026.
In my role as co-convener of the Cross-Party Group on Cancer, I have continued to liaise with medical professionals as I seek better cancer treatments and support for patients.
This has carried into my Right to Palliative Care Bill, which I have been working on throughout this session of Parliament, and I have been delighted with the support that it has received.
It is vital that we ensure that all of those with a terminal illness in Scotland have a legal right to palliative care and I can’t thank constituents and supporters enough for their contributions.
In May, Scotland will go to the polls to elect the next Scottish Parliament. There is of course much to be done ahead of the elections, and I will continue to stand up for Lothian and fight for the best deal for all our communities.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Evening News readers a very happy new year and I hope you had a fun and restful Christmas.