Latest news with #ChristineJardine
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Why I wasn't ‘virtue signalling' when I defied party whip over mental health
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Five years ago Edinburgh launched a project which was to become the benchmark for mental health support across the world. The Thrive collective was heralded as a way to relieve not just the burden on individuals and their families with mental health challenges, but the pressure on NHS and social services. Now however, as the capital faces the same ever-growing mental health waiting lists as the rest of the country, its funding is potentially about to be pulled. The Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) will decide next month whether to continue funding the Stafford Centre in the city centre, a place that saves the NHS millions and supports more than 640 vulnerable people, despite the lack of support from the SNP government. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The centre's own research found 80 per cent of those who use the service believe it has kept them out of hospital. Doubts over its future now feel like a bitter indication of what has gone wrong with our mental health strategies and the disregard in which they are held by some. READ MORE: A new approach to mental health is tackling the NHS backlog There is an emerging lack of compassion in this country for those who cannot easily be fitted into a convenient box for mental health care, says Christine Jardine (Picture: Sean Gallup) | Getty Images Genuine lack of concern? I have no idea whether cuts they face are because the decision-makers cannot see past clinical treatments to the value of taking time to listen and provide people with a safe space, or whether it is a genuine lack of concern. Recently I was accused of 'virtue signalling' for going against my party's whip and opposing a Conservative amendment to the controversial Labour Welfare Bill which would have reduced even further the benefits support available for mental ill health. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I found it difficult not to express my disgust at those who offer so little understanding to those with mental health challenges which can make simply getting through the day an achievement. I make no apology for fighting for their right to services. While that would have made no immediate difference to the decision of the EIJB, it would have created an atmosphere and society even more challenging for those who Thrive supports. On a visit to the Stafford Centre, managed by Change Mental Health, I experienced the safe, supportive and encouraging atmosphere they provide. So much more than what some might thoughtlessly dismiss as 'a cup of tea and a chat' with staff and volunteers and skills to learn. Frankly, it changes lives. And saves them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Time to mend our attitudes It's inspirational to see testaments from those they have helped, and the creative work many have produced with their encouragement. Fantastic paintings, beautiful jewellery and wood sculptures revealing talents nurtured in a safe space that financial cuts would deny them. We must do something about an emerging lack of compassion for those who cannot easily be fitted into a convenient box for care, or whose needs demand something a clinical setting cannot provide. In real terms, we need investment in training places for psychiatrists and to boost the number of health professionals in the system as my party, the Liberal Democrats, proposes. We need ambition to cut routine mental health waiting times where the SNP's ten-year-old strategy has failed. Appointing a dedicated mental health minister to champion the issue would make a significant difference. But most of all we need to mend our attitudes and re-ignite our compassion for those who have not been as lucky in life as we have.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Edinburgh MP Christine Jardine calls for Gaza students and researchers to be given safe passage to Scotland
Edinburgh West Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine has called on the UK Government to take action to ensure the safe passage of students and researchers from Gaza due to come to Edinburgh University. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... She said the UK visa centre in Gaza had been closed since 2023, meaning the scholars were unable to apply for visas and had no safe way to reach Edinburgh. She has written to the Foreign Office, asking for steps to be taken to ensure they can get here. Ms Jardine said: 'France and Ireland have worked to enable the safe passage of scholars from Gaza who hold offers of admission at various universities in their countries, and it is vital the UK Government gets similar structures in place. Christine Jardine said she had personal experience of how social media can quickly turn nasty Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It goes without saying it will be life changing for offer holders to leave Gaza safely and quickly, and begin their studies or fellowships at one of this country's many world-leading universities. 'I have asked the UK Government what steps they are taking to ensure those in Gaza who have been accepted to Edinburgh University get the help they need to travel here as soon as possible.' In her letter, Ms Jardine said she had been contacted by the university on the issue. She wrote: 'I am aware the governments of France and Ireland have recently coordinated with the Israeli government to enable the safe passage of scholars from Gaza who hold offers of admission at various universities in their countries. 'It is vital we do what we can to support safe passage of those who wish to study and contribute to our institutions.'
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Jardine urges UK Government to support Edinburgh hospitality ahead of summer season
Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has called on the UK Government to do more to support the hospitality sector in Scotland's capital, ahead of the busy Festival season. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Figures from UK Hospitality show that the sector contributes more than £198 million to Edinburgh West's economy, and employs more than 6,500 of Ms Jardine's constituents across 197 businesses. The trade body also estimates a loss of more than 69,000 jobs across the UK since Chancellor Rachel Reeves hiked National Insurance contributions (NICs) for employers last October. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Research from the Liberal Democrats earlier this year revealed hospitality businesses could face up to £370 million in extra NICs following the rise. Christine Jardine MP in the House of Commons Chamber Many businesses across Edinburgh West are struggling to cope with this tax hike, as well as the long-term impact of Brexit on trade, and Covid on visitor habits. Despite Minister Gareth Thomas highlighting business rates reforms, the Liberal Democrat MP reminded him that this would not apply in Scotland, leaving Scottish pubs, bars and restaurants at a disadvantage, and pushed for support for the sector across the whole country. This follows Ms Jardine's previous calls for hospitality venues to be exempt from Labour's jobs tax hike. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Christine Jardine MP said,'Hospitality and tourism are at the heart of the Scottish economy, and my city of Edinburgh benefits from hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and spending every year. 'But the sector is clearly struggling with the UK Government's jobs tax. With the Edinburgh International Festivals around the corner, we need this vital part of our economy to be strong. 'With more than 6,000 jobs in my constituency alone relying on hospitality, the UK Government must act now before more people lose out. 'Ministers must reverse these NIC hikes and do more to keep the thousands of my constituents who work hard in hospitality safe in their jobs.'
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Would a visitor tax on cruise ships help or hurt ports like Queensferry?
With the school summer holidays in full swing, and MPs taking our summer break from Westminster soon, thoughts are turning to summer in the capital. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... For me, it means a busy but exciting six weeks visiting businesses, helping constituents and seeing the issues people face every day across Edinburgh West. But like all of us in the city, it also means the bustle of the Festivals descends again. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Thousands come to Edinburgh to see some of the world's finest actors, writers and performers, and support our fantastic local businesses. Christine Jardine in South Queensferry In 2022 Edinburgh benefitted to the tune of £407 million, with around five thousand jobs supported. But too often recently it has seemed that the festival's future has been clouded by complaints about the number of tourists, which has in part spurred calls for a tourist tax. Edinburgh will soon introduce a 5% levy on accommodation bookings, which some estimates suggest could bring in £50 million per year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But this won't cover one part of Edinburgh's busy transport system, with potential to grow even further. Last summer, Edinburgh welcomed a record 118 cruise ships to its ports, including 36 to Queensferry. This may not be surprising, given that the United Kingdom's waters are visited by a third of the global cruising fleet every year. And, as I learnt from meeting the Cruise Lines Association recently, many who visit Scotland by cruise ship are from other parts of the UK itself. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For many, a cruise is also a fantastic opportunity to visit a destination for the first time, with most of them returning for another holiday in future. They will stop in Queensferry en route to the city, others will visit the high street, try some local produce, and admire the fantastic scenery, before returning to their journey at sea. This is the crux of the problem now facing the Scottish Government and councils – should cruise ships face the same tax as hotels? Many won't spend a night in the city, but they will provide an important boost to the small, family-run firms that are the backbone of our high streets. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some areas around ports could see thousands of tourists every day, adding pressure to local services. For communities who rely on tourism, the tax could help keep these afloat. But many who work in tourism are also concerned about the impact the potential tax could have. They worry it could make Scotland less attractive or risk losing investment, reducing the number of people who come and support our local economy. Whatever the solution that comes out of the Scottish Government's consultation, it's critical we keep tourism sustainable for communities of all sizes, so we can enjoy many more summers to come.
Scotsman
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Over 100 Lib Dem activists demand reinstatement of Edinburgh MP Christine Jardine to frontbench roles
More than 100 Lib Dem activists from across the UK have signed an open letter to party chiefs demanding the reinstatement of Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine after she was sacked from the frontbench. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... She was removed as Lib Dem spokesperson on Women and Equalities and on Scotland after she voted against a Tory amendment to the Welfare Bill instead of abstaining, as instructed by the party whips. But the open letter voices "deep misgivings and extreme concern" at the move. And it demands: "This decision must be reversed." Christine Jardine MP in the House of Commons Chamber Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Jardine, who had performed the frontbench roles for the past three years, explained in a letter to Lib Dem leader Ed Davey that she had voted against the amendment because of her late husband, Calum Macdonald. She wrote: "As you know, my late husband Calum, was bipolar. Several people around me have mental health conditions the amendment dismissed as 'minor', and not worthy of support. I could not in good conscience do anything other than vote against another Conservative attempt to remove help from those who need it the most. "Regardless of my personal circumstances, as Equalities Spokesperson, this is an equalities issue and I could not let down those who are relying on people in power to speak on their behalf." The open letter, addressed to Mr Davey and chief whip Wendy Chamberlain, calls for Ms Jardine's immediate reinstatement and an unreserved apology, as well as a review of the party's whipping policy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It says: "At a time when equalities victories are being rolled back and progress is stopping on almost every avenue, the Liberal Democrats must be the party that stands up to be counted. "Christine has been a tireless fighter for equalities of all kinds, and has, as you have noted yourself in the not too distant past, served as the best equalities spokesperson we have ever had. "The whip to abstain on a repugnant Conservative amendment - that sought to politicise mental health support and harm the very people we claim to protect - should never have been issued. 'The Liberal Democrats have a brilliant record on mental health, and being the party to advocate for those with mental health issues - We should never be playing political games on such important issues."
