Having previously raised my own concerns about the impact of the UK Labour budget of cutting the Winter Fuel Payment, committing to child poverty and the stigma the two-child cap forces on families, gaslighting WASPI women, and now, despite promising the Voluntary and community sector a civil society covenant’ to reset its relationship with the sector, causing untold harm to the charitable sector.
When I hosted a Celebration & Learning event in September with Glasgow Community Fund organisations, the attendees in the Banqueting Hall knew an ill wind was coming. Despite that, the joy in the room was felt by everyone, and we knew that we were all in it together.
As one participant said, “All different organisations: all with the same common goal and mission to help people.”
But are we?
Let me quote someone else who was invited to hear the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, set out his latest red pill plan for change last week, Ciara Bergman, CEO, Rape Crisis England & Wales.
Six months into government, he set out Labour’s priorities:
But he had nothing to say about violence against women and girls (VAWG), Ciara said.
“And in the context of the third sector not being exempt from national insurance hikes translating into a real term pay cut in our member centres’ grants, …. our member centres face unimaginably difficult choices: increase their waitlists? Lose staff? Close down altogether?”
He had nothing to say.
This is why I was proud to take a paper to the City Administration Committee last week, a successful proposal for unspent money to go to the Daisy Project and Glasgow Women’s Aid.
Tackling violence against women is a priority for SNP City Government in Glasgow which is why we have ensured an underspend in the GCF for the Northeast is being reallocated to ensure women and children affected by violence are provided with critical services.
It is estimated between 120 and 160 women and 100 to 140 children could be supported over the two years.
Coupled with the Scottish Government's confirmation the next day of £19 million for 119 organisations, twelve of them Glasgow-based and delivering vital services for women and girls, a testament to the work of the Glasgow Against Women Partnership and Kaukab Stewart, the Scottish Government Minster taking on board me and councillor Paul McCabe’s and other councillors in this Chamber’s concerns.
It has been said that Labour has a problem with women. Rachel Reeves pitching herself as a modern-day Margaret Thatcher, likening the challenges facing the UK to those faced by the Iron Lady in the late 1970s, reveals exactly what she thinks of our communities who were decimated under Thatcherism.
These National Insurance Hikes show the absolute disregard for the community and voluntary sector were the bulwark against Thatcherism and are now being assaulted by Starmer.
Let us fight back against this cut and protect the voluntary and charitable services working hard for our communities.
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