Scottish Labour leader, Richard Leonard, has shared his New year message.
He writes: “The absence of Hogmanay celebrations from the streets and from the homes of our cities, towns and villages, is deeply felt by all of us. But these great traditional community events will return. They will once again flourish.
“Going into 2021, it is clear that we will face more weeks and probably months of restrictions, and beyond that a post pandemic economic and jobs crisis that could cause unprecedented harm. But we can and we will recover from this.
“The advent of Covid vaccines give us realistic hope that we will come out of this pandemic in 2021, with the possibility of a return to some kind of normality.
“Scotland’s world class arts and cultural sectors will return and we will see live performances once again. Sport will be back, sport will be back with a vengeance, with the men’s national football team competing in Euro 2020 this coming summer, hoping to make history and lift our spirits. Scotland’s social fabric has been left torn and frayed by more than a decade of austerity and cuts.
“Despite the heroic work of emergency service, health and care workers, our public services were left ill-prepared and literally ill-equipped to tackle Covid because of this cuts driven approach.
“This year we can change the way that we do things for good, by breaking with the failed approach of the last decade. As we welcome 2021, let it be the year, when we collectively decide to reject austerity and division, and forge a new deal for a post Covid Scotland.
“Solidarity and New Year greetings.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
