Maree Todd: Illegal war in Ukraine adds to concerns over cost of living here
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Holyrood Notebook by Maree Todd
It has now been three weeks since Russia began its illegal invasion of Ukraine. In this time, we have seen the attacks widen and thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians flee their homes.
The UK government’s failure to respond with urgency and compassion to Ukrainians seeking refuge in the UK is shameful. At the time of writing, the UK has approved a mere 500 visas for Ukrainian nationals, a contrast to our European neighbours who have received hundreds of thousands of refugees, with Poland alone opening its doors to over one million Ukrainians.
Although I welcome the recent shift from Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has announced an online visa system that will be able to grant Ukrainians with a passport permission to come to the UK, I still think that falls short of what is needed – the UK must waive all visa requirements; the paperwork can wait.
Vladimir Putin’s attack on the Ukrainian people represents the actions of a war criminal. His regime has brought appalling warfare back to our continent. The Kremlin is under the thumb of a deluded imperialist and an autocrat, who cannot countenance a thriving democracy on his borders for fear that it might find its way into Russia.
On International Women’s Day (IWD) earlier this month, my heart was with the courageous women of Ukraine. As remarked throughout the debate in the Scottish Parliament on IWD, war has a disproportionate impact on women and girls.
As US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during a UN Security Council meeting, this war has forced women “to make unimaginable choices – being forced to flee their homes due to threats of imminent violence while they continue to support their communities, families and loved ones”. War inflicts huge financial hardship on families, and when an income is lost due to the tragedy of war, women can be left extremely vulnerable to physical and sexual violence.
Russia must face the most severe economic and political consequences for its atrocious actions. We have already seen a wave of sanctions against Russia alongside a commitment to phase out Russian oil imports by 2023.
With many of my constituents now receiving notification of their forecasted energy bill from April 1, I know that fears around further increases will be heightened due to the economic response to the war. I share this fear and as I’ve discussed in previous columns, the issue of fuel poverty in my constituency, and the injustices of it, genuinely keep me awake at night.
Speaking in front of the Work and Pensions Committee in Westminster, anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe spoke of the ‘fatal’ consequences the cost-of-living crisis will have on households. I hate to echo such strong wording, but in hearing about the crippling impact of the cost-of-living crisis on my constituents daily, and of the choices that are being made to get by, I fear the consequences.
To finish, I know there are concerns across Thurso regarding the impending closure of the TSB branch. I have been in touch with TSB again following a dissatisfying response to my initial letter and I have made clear that I am disappointed by their decision to overlook their loyal Thurso customers and abandon their social and moral responsibility to the community.
I have asked for an update on the pop-up service and I am seeking assurances that there will be a seamless transition from in-person banking to this alternative. I have also requested further information on what services will be available and if there will be any limitations to businesses and customers using this service.
I will continue to keep my constituents updated on this.
- Maree Todd is the SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.
