Ruth comments on Theresa May statement

See below a comment from Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson on the resignation announcement by Prime Minister Theresa May.

 

“The Prime Minister has always put country before party and, by announcing her resignation and setting out a plan for an orderly departure, she has shown that commitment again today.

“Theresa May knew when she took on the job of Prime Minister that the challenges facing our country were unprecedented.

“Her time in office has been characterised by the hard work, resilience, quiet dignity and attention to detail for which she is known.

“Above all, by opposing the SNP’s call for an immediate second independence referendum in 2017, the Prime Minister demonstrated her resolute commitment to the Union, and to Scotland’s place in it.

“As Britain’s second female Prime Minister, she has been a role model for girls and women across the United Kingdom, showing that there is no glass ceiling to their ambitions.

“On behalf of everyone in the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party I would like to thank her for her years of service as an MP, party chairman, Secretary of State, and Prime Minister.

“The party will now elect a new leader over the coming weeks.

“As leader of the Scottish Conservatives, I want to see candidates show that same level of commitment to Scotland's place in the Union, an ability to advance our interests at home and abroad and, crucially, demonstrate how they intend to bring our country back together after the divisions sown by two constitutional referenda.”

Number of disabled people waiting for housing doubles

The number of disabled people on housing waiting lists has almost doubled in the past two years, new research has revealed.

It means there are now 17,444 people waiting for disabled-friendly housing under the SNP government, compared to a reported 9714 in 2017.

In some local authorities, the average wait for a home tops 1000 days, while in individual cases people have been forced to wait more than a decade for the right accommodation.

And the true figure for disabled people waiting to be housed is likely to be even higher, after large councils like Glasgow and Fife refused to respond to the Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives.

Shadow social security secretary Michelle Ballantyne said the rising number of vulnerable people waiting for housing was proof of the SNP’s housing crisis.

Scottish Conservative shadow social security secretary Michelle Ballantyne said:

“The SNP pretends to be sincere when it comes to helping people with disabilities.

“But these facts expose the reality of the situation.

“Not only are there far too many disabled people waiting for the right housing, that number has nearly doubled in just the last two years.

“It proves the SNP has taken its eye off the ball domestically, and allowed a housing crisis to affect the country’s most vulnerable people.

“The Scottish Government clearly isn’t giving councils the resources they need to address this problem.”

Ends

 

Notes to editors:

 

Below are the number of disabled people on housing waiting lists as of March this year, with the 2017 statistic in brackets:

 

Aberdeen – 50 (51)

Aberdeenshire – 876 (14)

Angus – 402 (256)

Argyll and Bute – 694 (599)

Clackmannanshire – 468 (219)

Dumfries and Galloway – n/a

Dundee – 101 (681)

East Ayrshire – n/a

East Dunbartonshire – 380 (499)

East Lothian – 10 (214)

East Renfrewshire – 202 (95)

Edinburgh – 6193 (491)

Falkirk – 2493 (385)

Fife – n/a

Glasgow n/a (1979)

Highland – 1378 (158)

Inverclyde – n/a

Midlothian – 733 (910)

Moray – 577 (487)

North Ayrshire – 703 (909)

North Lanarkshire – 265 (177)

Orkney – 15 (6)

Perth and Kinross – n/a

Renfrewshire – 448 (325)

Scottish Borders – n/a

Shetland – 67 (23)

South Ayrshire – n/a (277)

South Lanarkshire – 657 (233)

Stirling – 414 (86)

West Dunbartonshire – 4 (26)

West Lothian – 314 (508)

Western Isles – n/a (106)

Total – 17,444 (9714)

Source for 2017 figures: https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/full-scotlands-disabled-housing-waiting-lists/

 

Below is the average wait a disabled person faces for accommodation, broken down by council area, as of March this year, with the single longest wait in brackets:

 

Aberdeen – 239 days (12.9 years)

Aberdeenshire – 260 days (n/a)

Angus – 406 days (Since October 2012)

Argyll and Bute – 313 days (Since February 2001)

Clackmannanshire – n/a

Dumfries and Galloway – n/a

Dundee – n/a (5 years 4 months)

East Ayrshire – 434 days (6 years 7 months)

East Dunbartonshire – 1387 days (Since 1995)

East Lothian – 1825 days (10 years)

East Renfrewshire – 1642 days (20 years)

Edinburgh – 985 days (Since April 2003)

Falkirk – 770 days (1944 days)

Fife – n/a

Glasgow – n/a

Highland – n/a

Inverclyde – n/a

Midlothian – 985 days (12.6 years)

Moray – 791 days (n/a)

North Ayrshire – 877 days (Since 2009)

North Lanarkshire – 753 days (19 years)

Orkney – 699 days (6 years)

Perth and Kinross – n/a

Renfrewshire – n/a

Scottish Borders – n/a

Shetland – 371 days (8 years)

South Ayrshire – n/a

South Lanarkshire – 1175 days (24 years)

Stirling – 669 days (21.7 years)

West Dunbartonshire – n/a (8 years)

West Lothian – n/a

Western Isles – n/a

For individual copies of the FoI responses by council, contact the Scottish Conservative press office.