RHODA GRANT: Caithness can benefit from energy resources, with the right leadership

Holyrood Notebook by Rhoda Grant

This month, Labour leader Keir Starmer, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Ed Miliband MP and Colin Smyth MSP visited Beatrice wind farm near Wick to pledge doubling the number of clean energy jobs in Scotland – succeeding where the SNP and Tories have failed.

The SNP failed on their 2017 promise to deliver a publicly owned energy company. Should Labour win in the next general election, Keir Starmer has pledged to set up GB Energy by 2030, which will have a specific remit to invest in all nations of the UK – helping Caithness and wider Scotland benefit from our natural resources.

When it comes to capitalising on Scotland’s extraordinary energy resources, for 15 years the SNP government has chased the headlines but has not done the work. Labour will deliver, which will result in lower bills, good jobs, and energy security for Scotland and the wider United Kingdom and we will lead the world in the fight against climate change.

The Scottish Parliament voted for Humza Yousaf to be our new first minister. I look forward to working with him as I have done in his previous roles in the Cabinet. He has previously been Cabinet Secretary for Health and, before that, Minister for Transport. Because of this, he is very aware of the issues dominating Caithness, including centralisation of health services and poor public transport links.

I would hope that this knowledge would lead him to prioritise these issues, however he failed to prioritise them while in Cabinet and I am not holding out much hope that he will do that now.

Women’s services, including maternity services and endometriosis care, desperately need to be improved in Caithness. This was raised in the recent SNP hustings in Inverness, as well as many other issues including the A9 and the centralisation of services – including Police Scotland.

Seeing these issues laid bare in one evening was striking to me and it highlighted why the Highlands and Islands are unique compared to other parts of Scotland. I hope our new first minister took note of these issues because audience members and wider watchers were listening and they will not forget his promises.

To end this column, I wish to highlight the fantastic work of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau during this cost-of-living crisis. They have seen online demand for debt and money advice increase by 25 per cent in recent times.

I really admire those who volunteer and work at the Bureaux, the help they give is so valuable.

I urge anyone struggling with bills or the inflated costs we now face to contact them, they make sure service users get benefits checks and help manage debt.

People tell me the most valuable thing they gain from visiting CAB is a good night’s sleep, having the burden of their money worries managed and back under control.

• Rhoda Grant is a Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands.

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