“It is vital that a solution can be found…Otherwise the issue will continue to be seized upon by far-right figures like Nigel Farage.”
Glasgow has a homelessness crisis(Image: Birmingham Mail)
Scotland enjoys a reputation for its friendliness and hospitality. This extends to its long and distinguished record in housing refugees and those seeking asylum from other countries.
But this tradition is being severely stretched by Scotland’s wider housing emergency. Glasgow City Council spent £16.5million between April and July housing the homeless in hotels and guest houses.
The council paid the sums to the owners of 40 establishments across the city in the 16 weeks from April to July.
Astonishingly, of the 2242 homeless people being housed in hotels and B&Bs in the city, 1615 were refugees.
Now campaigners have demanded the Red Cross be called in to help the city cope with this crisis.
The UK Government, which controls immigration policy, has been diligently dealing with the backlog of asylum cases across the UK left by the Tories. It’s just one of the many messes inherited by Keir Starmer after 14 years of failure by the Conservatives.
When an asylum seeker is given the right to remain in the UK, they lose any right to free accommodation – but this means many end up homeless.
And when someone declares themselves homeless to a council in Scotland, the local authority has a legal obligation to find them temporary accommodation.
This is the situation Glasgow finds itself in. The UK Government has recognised this. What is needed now is a sensible solution where the central government can provide adequate funds for the local authority to continue to house those most in need. And to build more affordable homes as a priority for the existing population.
It is vital that a solution can be found to the crisis Glasgow finds itself in. Otherwise the issue will continue to be seized upon by far-right figures like Nigel Farage.
Global warning
Global warming is sometimes dismissed as something that affects other people in faraway places.
But the real consequences of extreme weather are very much with us here in Scotland.
Despite our reputation as a rain-lashed land, we have been experiencing an unprecedented lack of rainfall this summer. That might be good for those seeking a suntan – but it’s bad news for farmers who rely on rain to keep their crops healthy.
And anglers are now also facing disaster. At one popular fishing spot, Ballo Reservoir in Fife, a drought means the water is almost gone.
And that means thousands of fish living there are facing death, struggling to survive in just 12 inches of water.
The need to tackle global warming rests with people and governments across the globe. And that includes all of us.
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