8 March 2011
Save Edinburgh's Jobless Services Campaign takes
the message to Holyrood: 'Save services that help
jobless into work'
UPDATE: 10 March: Campaign Success!
Yesterday Alex Neil MSP announced that, in response
to the pressure from the campaign and supporting
MSPs, and the representations made by Cllr Tom Buchanan,
the Scottish Government would would agree to the
City of Edinburgh Council’s request for more than
£700,000 of transitional funding for financial year
2011/12.
This is a great success! Although £700,000 is a
lot less than the £2.23 million which has been cut,
we understand that the sum is what the Council and
CCP had requested once discussions started, following
the response by John Swinney on budget day.
The request for the following financial year, 2012-13,
was much greater, because the temporary sources
of funding identified this coming year will not
be in place. Clearly the current administration
did not wish to make commitments that far ahead.
The consequence is that the problem is pushed back
by a year so the campaign and its supporters will
need to continue lobbying. For that a good foundation
has been laid because in effect everyone involved
has recognised the strength of our case. For those
of you who were not present, the debate in Parliament
yesterday can be read at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2/business/
orsearch/ReportView.aspx?r=6169&mode=html
From this it is clear that each of the MSPs who
spoke had listened to our briefings and they understand
the importance of the services delivered with this
funding. We will be writing thanking them.
ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE
Photocall: 12.15, Wednesday 9 March, outside
Scottish Parliament Parliamentary
Briefing: 12.30 Q1.04
Campaigners will be at the Scottish Parliament
on Wednesday to press home the message that the
Scottish Government's cuts of funding for employment
programmes in Edinburgh will hurt people who most
need help at this time of economic difficulties.
This takes place on the day that the motion on
this topic from Sarah Boyack MSP will be debated
at lunchtime in the Scottish Parliament - Wednesday
9 March.
At a briefing for MSPs before the debate, trainees
from Four Square's Connected programme will launch
the short video clip which they have made for the
campaign. Representatives of other projects and
of UNISON will also be there to speak about the
impact of these cuts.
It is organised by the campaign to Save Edinburgh's
Jobless Services which will hand over a 500 name
petition to Scottish ministers that day.
"Our campaign is definitely having an impact"
says Matthew Crighton of UNISON, speaking for the
campaign.
"This is not the first time it has been noticed
in Parliament - in the budget debate on 9 February
John Swinney, Finance Minister, said that 'the Government
will do what it can in the circumstances'.
"But so far these cuts are still in place. We are
hoping that the wide range of support which we have
had for our petition and from Edinburgh MSPs will
help persuade the government to change its mind".
Messages from the public posted by signatories
of the petition include:
"We need to be investing more in these services,
not cutting them"
"Please help the jobless of Edinburgh by saving
this funding. It is essential"
"Reducing this service will mean another blow to
the young people of Edinburgh…"
"Save the jobs that save jobs!"
"Targeting unemployment programmes does not make
sense in the current climate"
"As if the historic unemployment problem wasn't
big enough on Muirhouse…"
"Having been involved in this field for over 20
years, I fail to see how cutting funds will help
the already increasing unemployment figures"
"Why target the less privileged again?"
"The reality of Edinburgh as a modern city of
social justice that supports all its communities
is at stake due to these budget proposals"
"At this stage in the economic cycle it would be
a travesty to undo the good work that services that
help the jobless do"
"This is an investment in our future that should
be maintained and promoted"
"Be fair to people and give people a chance and
a foot up to success. Funding here prevents rehabilitation
later. Be nice"