Kate Campbell MSP column - Genuine change is coming

From the cost-of-living crisis to the NHS to housing, people are telling us that continuity won’t cut it.

The SNP’s vision for the next five years, as set out by John Swinney in the Programme for Government, is one of genuine change.

The needs of our people must come before the needs of a system that no longer works as well as it should.

The headline announcement was the planned reduction in the total number of health boards from 14 to two.

We’ll reduce the number of chief executives and managers. We’ll replace them with more nurses, doctors and ambulance drivers.

This will mean more operations and shorter waiting times.

And we’ll achieve this by doing away with excessive red tape so we can free up more money for frontline patient services.

Walk-in centres will be expanded across the country as well.

This is such an important commitment because accessing a GP can be difficult right now.

We’re getting a walk-in clinic here in Musselburgh which will be open seven days a week.

East Lothian has the fastest-growing population of any council area in Scotland. The demand for affordable housing is especially high here.

The commitment to build 110,000 affordable homes within the next six years, with more than 70 per cent for social rent, is very welcome. More homes are badly needed across our communities.

We’ve published proposals on capping the price of essential food items so that everyone can afford healthy, nutritious meals.

We’re committed to opening breakfast clubs in every primary school. We must give our children the best possible start in life.

And we’re proposing to strengthen legislation to prevent violence against women and girls while also bringing in a mansion tax, so the wealthiest residents pay their fair share.

The SNP are committed to making Scotland safer and fairer. We want to make life better for ordinary people.

This is the government that Scotland voted for in May. Now we’re delivering on our promises.