The UK has now passed the third anniversary of leaving the EU, with very little positive to show for it. Bloomberg has found that Brexit is costing the UK £100billion a year in lost output, with significant impact on investment and employment.
The Bank of England has noted the effect on growth, stating this week that it’s having a faster impact than they had anticipated. And Glasgow has been the hardest hit city in Scotland, with £255m lost due to the drop in exports. These impacts are only the tip of the iceberg.
Back in 2016, my office produced a report on the benefits of being in the EU for Glasgow. These included access to the Horizon research funding for our universities, in which Scotland punched above her weight, and Erasmus+ which facilitated educational exchanges across Europe for schools and community groups as well as those in further and higher education.
EU Structural Funds brought in significant investment in regeneration and infrastructure. Since 2007, Scotland has received over €1.7billion, which the UK Government hasn’t come close to replacing.
The UK Government has shown little interest in providing comprehensive equivalents to the EU funds which supported business growth and employment and training. Scottish Government analysis across EU funding streams shows that Scotland is being severely short-changed by the UK Government, receiving 60 per cent less - £337million – than we would have received under the EU.
As the last pieces of EU funding peter out it remains unclear which funding streams will replace them. Fantastic urban green infrastructure projects like Clyde Gateway’s Cuningar Loop Woodland Park in Rutherglen and Malls Mire in Toryglen are great examples of collaboration among funders, but the UK Government’s commitment to this agenda is sorely lacking.
The UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund has been much delayed and has completely failed to deliver for our communities. Instead of contributing to regeneration projects in Glasgow that would mend the historic tear in the fabric of our city caused by the M8 and protect the People’s Palace and Winter Garden’s for future generations, money was instead diverted to wealthy constituencies like Richmond in Yorkshire - coincidentally represented the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. It is pork-barrel politics at it’s worst.
It is even more galling that the UK Government appear to have changed the rules late in the day. Despite assurances to the contrary, local authorities who were granted funding in the first round were excluded from this round.
The regeneration of Pollok Stables was successful in the first round of funding last year and Glasgow was told that it was still eligible for bids in the other Glasgow constituencies and for a transport-related bid. The UK Government’s own website still shows Glasgow as having seven bids remaining. Yet, at the last minute, Glasgow’s bids were rejected without explanation.
My colleague Anne McLaughlin MP has secured a debate on this issue in Parliament on Tuesday, where Glasgow’s MPs hope to get answers. It’s simply unjustifiable that the UK Government would dismiss regeneration bids from Glasgow, while feathering the nests of Tory marginal seats in England.
BBC must change tune on cuts
Celtic Connections celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, so this should be a time to celebrate the success of the Scottish music scene. There have been amazing performances, cross-genre collaborations, and acts from around the world coming to Glasgow to wow audiences.
It’s deeply disappointing therefore to hear that BBC Radio Scotland are planning to stymie the year-round celebration of Scottish music and musicians by scrapping the Jazz Nights, Classics Unwrapped, and Pipeline shows. These programmes give a weekly showcase to Scotland’s unique music scene, often giving young Scottish musicians their first broadcasting opportunity.
The Mercury Music Prize nominated artist and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland alumnus Fergus McCreadie has said that these shows “give life to the smaller genres in music”. Live recordings of piping over the decades mean that BBC Scotland is the effective national back catalogue of pipe music – but it will fall into stasis without new music being captured.
The BBC’s Charter states that it must “act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain.” The trio of jazz, classical and piping fit that duty perfectly, and I urge the BBC to scrap these cuts.
A party man in every way
Heartbroken to hear that the best ceilidh partner I ever had has passed away. Allan Angus from Aberdeen was a wonderful man and I will miss him so much. From chasing to keep up with him leafleting, to every dance we had, to seeing him for the final time last conference, it was a pleasure.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
