Caithness and Sutherland need positive action in 2025
I wish you all the best for 2025. Reflecting on this year, we had UK elections and a change of government.
I hope that we will see brighter times ahead.
Of course there have been difficult decisions that had to be made, and I regret these, however if it does mean that the country is on a more secure footing it will lead to better times ahead.
For Caithness it has been a year for having concerns validated.
Firstly, the Scottish Human Rights Commission published their spotlight report into the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands.
The conclusions in that report came as no surprise to me or the organisations, charities and individuals who contributed to it.
Since its publication, I have tried to gain answers from the SNP Scottish Government on what their reaction is to the recommendations made in the report.
I have submitted a motion for debate in the Scottish Parliament and this has gained cross-party support.
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The health and sport Committee also published a report into rural healthcare last year.
This inquiry was launched because of petitions submitted by rural communities including some from Caithness.
Both the Scottish Human Rights Commission and the health and sport committee raised similar issues regarding health.
Both organisations worked hard to grasp the multitude of issues that are affecting rural areas and how this is causing a domino effect into other areas such as depopulation.
I thank them for their work.
I hope 2025 brings admission from the Scottish Government that more needs to be done especially regarding the changes needed in housing, tackling hunger and providing good quality healthcare.
Having their concerns validated hopefully brings some sense of relief to the communities who, until this point, felt ignored.
Before the Christmas break, it was announced that Orbex were “pausing” their construction of the Sutherland Spaceport and moving their satellite launch work to Shetland.
This came out of the blue and even came as a surprise to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) – who helped them with funding.
This is incredibly disappointing and I am puzzled as to why they have done this.
Since the announcement, I have met with Orbex and HIE to advocate for the community and to try and protect the promised jobs and community investment.
Its vitally important that HIE move swiftly to establish what can be done to ensure the space port continues to be built Sutherland.
If this does not happen, any money given to Orbex for Sutherland needs to be recouped and reinvested into the Sutherland community.
Time will tell what Orbex do. They have told myself and other MSPs they are pausing the development in Sutherland to allow them to invest in a new launch model in the short term, but will finish their development at A’ Mhòine and launch their smaller satellites there.
I sincerely hope that is the case - north Sutherland desperately needs investment and the community had many exciting plans for development alongside the space port.
I will do everything I can do to make sure that happens.
Rhoda Grants is a Labour list MSP for the Highlands and Islands.