ELECTION 2021: 'Bold' policies needed to recover from pandemic, says SNP's Adam

THIS week, we asked the candidates standing for Banffshire and Buchan Coast to share their thoughts as to how the area could recover from the economic effects of Covid-19.

Karen Adam, who is standing for the SNP, calls for radical policies with a humanitarian base:

We have seen devastation caused by austerity, a bad Brexit deal, and Covid.

It’s time for recovery, investment and support.

We need humanitarian based governance with bold radical policy. We’re living in a time reminiscent of the post-war era. We are committing to deliver a programme of recovery.

Our fishing and farming industries need support now more than ever. They need investment that delivers, this is vital, along with continued honest engagement. Encouraging more young people into these industries will be a crucial aspect of this.

We prioritise our NHS, we’ve given the biggest NHS pay rise since devolution. We shall introduce a national care service, scrap non-residential social care charges, £250 million to tackle drug deaths, record funding for mental health services, fast track cancer diagnosis centres, and ambitious plans to re-mobilise the NHS with massive investment, reforming and adapting for faster more efficient services.

A massive barrier to learning is poverty, we will have policies such as the Young Persons Guarantee, a free device for all school children, free school breakfasts and lunches for primary school children all year, a play fund to renew our play-parks, our baby box, free bus travel for under 22s, and what’s been hailed as a ‘game changer’, the Scottish Child Payment which we will double. It’s our priority to eradicate child poverty.

Local businesses were instrumental in community support during Covid. Despite the hardship they themselves faced. They must be supported. A hundred per cent non-domestic rates relief, £275 million to support community-led regeneration and town centre revitalisation, and a £10 million Scotland Loves Local fund to keep wealth within communities. This, and an ambitious house building programme most for social rent, creating homes and jobs.

Here in Banffshire and Buchan Coast, with continued compassionate and responsible governance will get through this and build back better than before.

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