Sirs,
The SNP manifesto for the current Westminster election reflects a party committed to a fair society where services like the NHS, welfare state and key public services are at the heart of SNP priorities. Despite sharp cuts in the block grant by Westminster to Scotland, the Scottish Government has faced up to the economic challenges brought about by Westminster's excessive austerity cuts.
In 2017 the Scottish Government provided Comhairle nan Eilean Siar with a budget of £3,565 per person, more than for any other local council in Scotland. By comparison the amount of money per person for Glasgow was £2,017 while Edinburgh got £1,444 and Aberdeen £1,219.
This reflects an understanding of the social needs and the remoteness of townships on these islands. The Western Isles received the biggest settlement by head of population.
Letter: The biggest settlement
1 June 2017
The budget for the Western Isles NHS from the SNP Government has risen from £68.0 million in 2012 to £80.6 mn in 2017. This is a rise of 18.5% over 5 years and is one of the biggest increases in the whole of Britain.
There are no other parties standing in this election who are prepared to make anything like the SNP's commitment to preserving our public services. It was the SNP which led any real opposition to the Tory government's embarrassing policies of punishing those least able to pay for the ongoing economic disasters created by successive governments.
Only the SNP and Angus Macneil are fighting the Tory Government's policy of punishing
pensioners through the dementia tax while Labour have had practically nothing to
say. Re-
Archie Harper
27 Shulishader
Isle of Lewis