The Labour leadership’s narrow definition of ‘working people’ leads to distorted and unjust Budget calculations, where the unearned income of the super-wealthy doesn’t factor in at all, argues JON TRICKETT MP
This is not the national care service we need
Unison completely supports a new, expanded care system — but what the Scottish government has put in front of us enables the break-up and privatisation of social work, institutionalising insecurity, warns KATE RAMSDEN
YOU could be forgiven for thinking the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill lays out a vision for a national care service in Scotland. You would be wrong.
It is a “framework” Bill. That means it gives no detail at all about what a national care service would look like, but if passed, would enable Scottish ministers to decide that without proper parliamentary scrutiny. It promises “co-design” but does not commit to listening or acting on what comes out of that.
Essentially it asks us to trust ministers to design a service that will meet the needs of staff and service users alike, leaving our members in social work and social care hostages to fortune.
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STEPHEN LOW details how the Scottish Greens’ retreat from full opposition to the Bill gives the SNP the opportunity to revive this toxic legislation and push through privatisation under the cover of popular reforms



