Scotland is to benefit from significant EU funds

Investment for vital projects to tackle poverty and inequality.

Councils across Scotland are set to benefit from almost £13m of funding to tackle poverty in communities across the country.

The money, made up from a combination of £5m of European Social Funds (ESF) and match funding from local authorities, will be targeted to projects that combat poverty and promote equal opportunity.

The First Minister made the announcement as she visited Project Search, an initiative delivered by the local authority in Renfrewshire designed to get young people with autism and learning disabilities into employment.

Speaking during the visit, the First Minister said:

“This government’s clear focus on tackling inequality is at the forefront of all we do, and this funding will play a hugely important part in our efforts to eradicate it from Scotland’s communities.

“In Renfrewshire alone ESF is providing nearly £400,000 which, when matched by funding from the local authority will come to around £1m. This will benefit a range of projects and provide much-needed support in areas such as debt management, childcare and housing support, and well-being services.

“Project Search is an excellent example of how the money is being invested in traineeships to get people into work.

“This is another example of how our membership of the EU has a real and lasting impact on the lives of Scots from every walk of life.

“We are working hard to ensure we continue to remain within Europe to enjoy these hugely vital and worthwhile initiatives.”

Kieran Kelly, who attended Project Search and went on to secure a job at a charity that tackles disability hate crime, said:

“The experience I had with Project SEARCH overall has been life changing. The work experience that I had has given me new experiences to learn new skills and allowed me to do things I have never done before. The classes were really interesting and fun and gave me the confidence to try new things.’

Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan said: “Renfrewshire’s Project Search is about helping our young people to harness their talent, achieve their potential and find the sustained employment that changes lives. “It is a clear example of a successful programme making a real difference on the ground and part of our innovative approach to tackling poverty. “By equipping young people with the skills and experience they need to thrive in the workplace, we are giving them a solid foundation for long-term employment and making it less likely they will face financial hardship. “It also helps employers by ensuring that our area has a pool of people they can draw on to help their businesses prosper and grow.”

Article Source: http://news.gov.scot/news/scotland-to-benefit-from-significant-eu-funds

RELATED LINKS:
SCOT GOV WEBSITE >> www.scotland.gov.uk

Keith Brown calls for parliamentary consensus over single market membership.

Article Source: http://news.gov.scot/news/scotland-must-remain-in-eu-single-market

Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Fair Work, Keith Brown, will call for the Scottish Parliament to unanimously back Scotland’s continued membership of the EU single market at a debate in Holyrood later this week.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Mr Brown said:

“The people of Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain within the European Union, and it is vital that any Brexit negotiation acknowledges and respects that choice.

“This is why I am asking the Scottish Parliament to show consensus on this issue, so we can unanimously call on the UK Government to explore all avenues to protect this access, rather than dragging Scotland out against our will.

“The EU is a vital trading body for Scotland. It’s the destination for 42% of our exports, is a market nine times bigger than the UK’s alone, contains eight of our top 12 export destinations and contributed £11.6 billion to the economy in 2014.

“The benefits of remaining within this market are clear – Scotland is currently the most attractive region outside of London for overseas inward investment, and maintaining a pathway to the single market is a key factor for many international companies who choose to base themselves here.

“Removing Scotland from the single market would also put at risk the free movement of EU citizens, which has been a key driver of growth in Scotland, bringing in new skills and expertise and diversifying our culture and economy.

“Additionally, Scotland benefits significantly from EU funding, which supports jobs and infrastructure, sustains rural communities, provides valuable support for the farming and fishing industries and delivers research funding for universities.

“Cutting ties with the EU single market would seriously threaten Scotland’s attractiveness as a place to do business, remove several vital streams of funding, and endanger the security of jobs, businesses and services across the country.

“That is why it is essential that this week our national Parliament sends as united a message as possible that Scotland must remain in the single market.”

RELATED LINKS:
SCOT GOV WEBSITE >> www.scotland.gov.uk

Speech By Nicola Sturgeon on 08/16:

First Minister confirms Lord Advocate will lead intervention.

The First Minister has confirmed that the Lord Advocate will lodge a formal application to intervene in the UK Government’s appeal to the Supreme Court on the triggering of Article 50.

The Lord Advocate – Scotland’s most senior law officer – will lodge the application as soon as the UK Government lodges its appeal against a High Court ruling preventing them from using the Royal Prerogative to begin the process of the UK leaving the European Union.

The outcome of the High Court’s decision is that the UK Government must seek the permission of the UK Parliament before it can trigger Article 50. The Scottish Government believes that the Scottish Parliament should also be formally consulted.

The First Minister said:

“The Scottish Government is clear that triggering Article 50 will directly affect devolved interests and rights in Scotland.

“And triggering Article 50 will inevitably deprive Scottish people and Scottish businesses of rights and freedoms which they currently enjoy.

“It simply cannot be right that those rights can be removed by the UK Government on the say-so of a Prime Minister without parliamentary debate, scrutiny or consent.

“So legislation should be required at Westminster and the consent of the Scottish Parliament should be sought before Article 50 is triggered.

“Let me be clear – I recognise and respect the right of England and Wales to leave the European Union.

“This is not an attempt to veto that process.

“But the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland and the national Parliament of Scotland cannot be brushed aside as if they do not matter.

“The Prime Minister said that on June 23 people across the UK had voted with, in her words, “emphatic clarity” when they voted by a margin of 4 points to leave the EU.

“The margin for remain in Scotland was 24 points: a far more emphatic and clear result.

“So the Prime Minister needs to live up to her promise to treat Scotland as an equal partner in the United Kingdom and listen to the will of the people of Scotland.”

The First Minister’s full speech can be found here: http://news.gov.scot/speeches-and-briefings/first-ministers-press-conference-1

ARTICLE SOURCE: http://news.gov.scot/news/scottish-government-will-intervene-in-article-50-legal-case

Article by Nicola Sturgeon via Scot Gov News 06/11/16:

First Minister makes the case for new UK economic policy.

The UK Government must reverse its austerity policies and give people more grounds for hope, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will say tomorrow.

In a major speech in Sheffield, the First Minister will challenge the UK government to address some of the underlying causes of the vote to leave the European Union.

Ms Sturgeon will speak at the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute, on “Scotland and the UK: economic policy after the EU referendum” and will tell a sold-out audience of 1200 people that the vote to leave the European Union was also a vote against the damage done by the austerity policies of the UK Government.

In a major anti-austerity speech, the First Minister will set out an alternative economic policy and urge the Chancellor to support inclusive growth, to invest in jobs and to back our public services.

Setting out the need to learn the lessons of the EU referendum result and to invest in inclusive growth, Ms Sturgeon will say that:

“We need to demonstrate that being open to free trade and free movement isn’t just good for the economy as a whole. It benefits individuals and communities too. It creates, rather than curtails new opportunities for everyone. And it can lead to a society which is more prosperous, more inclusive, and more cohesive.”

“Austerity has already caused huge social harm and brought no economic benefit – it has failed, categorically and comprehensively, on its own terms.

“We know that people on low incomes were more likely to vote to leave the European Union, as were areas with low employment rates. UK economic policy has just not given enough people, enough grounds for hope.

“While the UK Government may have abandoned its original debt reduction target, the pain for working people is set still continue – the Resolution Foundation estimates working families on low incomes will be worse off in the years ahead as a direct result of both austerity and Brexit.

“So the Chancellor of the Exchequer needs to change course in his Autumn Statement in a fortnight to invest in the economy and support public services, offering hope for the future rather than playing on the fears of the present.”

ARTICLE SOURCE: http://news.gov.scot/news/time-to-end-austerity

RELATED LINKS:
SCOT GOV WEBSITE >> www.scotland.gov.uk
SNP WEBSITE: >> www.snp.org