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MSP calls for clean slate on housing debt



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Published Date: 24 December 2007
A LOTHIANS SNP MSP has called for cross-party support for the campaign to write off Edinburgh’s housing debt.
Shirley-Anne Somerville attacked Chancellor Alistair Darling for using billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to prop up Northern Rock while failing to write off the Capital’s £280m debt burden.

She said: “Housing debt is crippling Scotland’s local authorities and contributing to the real shortage of homes facing Edinburgh.

“In recent months Alistair Darling has given over £57 billion to Northern Rock with little chance of getting all or any of it back. That could have covered Edinburgh’s housing debt over 200 times.

“The Scottish Government has given its support to affordable housing in the city and to encouraging local authorities to support new social housing, but without a debate write-off, many councils will be wary of investing.”

She has lodged a motion on the issue and said she hoped all Edinburgh MSPs would support her call for the debt to be written off and housing in the Capital given the opportunity for a new start.



The full article contains 188 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 24 December 2007 9:43 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Nikostratos,

24/12/2007 12:05:01
I wonder how much social housing Trumptown will provide for the people of Aberdeenshire..Over to you Alex
2

Ghengis McCann,

Edinburgh 24/12/2007 14:17:40
Another day, another gratuitous Gnat poke at Westminster. It's becoming very tedious.

Nothing to stop King Alex's "Scottish Government" prioritising social housing with hard cash to Councils. But like so much else of what they claim to have done so far, their "encouragement"and "support" to Councils are just pious words which won't fund a single brick.

This is Scottish government by smoke, mirrors and cheap populism - insults instead of integrity, slogans instead of statesmanship. Punting for independence on one hand and whining for bigger Westminster handouts on the other.

Hypocrisy wrapped in the saltire is still just hypocrisy.
3

Punta Prima,

BALERNO 24/12/2007 19:36:38
#1 What has the Trump development got to do with existing housing debt? Get off your high horse and read the article.

#2 pathetic comment. The deliberate misspelling of Nat is a huge clue. This Scottish government is at least trying to do it's best for the people of Scotland e.g the nurses ho got their full pay rise on time, honouring the tribunal outcome top the police, paying our teachers more, Cutting prescription charges and stopping the tolls.

On top of all this they have been forced to waste 500 million on a tram scheme by the Unionists of Labour, Tory and LibDems. This could have been used as you suggested had it not been for the way they voted.

 

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