Culture and leisure cuts show SNP’s broken relationship with rural Scots

Highland Liberal Democrats have today (Thursday 23rd October) highlighted the SNP’s “broken relationship with rural Scotland”, after an embargoed report from the Accounts Commission warned that council cuts to culture and leisure services could harm more rural communities.

Since 2018/19, council spend on culture and leisure has reduced by 3% in real terms. Overall satisfaction and attendance rates for some services remained below pre-pandemic levels.

The report warned that removing these services risks increasing inequalities and exclusion, especially in rural and more deprived communities.

Highland Liberal Democrats recently launched a petition to save the under-threat Tain Royal Academy Community Complex (TRACC). This facility – the only swimming pool in Tain- is at risk of closure following an SNP-Independent-led Highland Council review.

David Green, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, said:

“Leisure and culture facilities bring people of all ages together, particularly in rural communities. Their value is not just our wellbeing, but with combating loneliness and social isolation too.

"This evidence of increasing neglect of leisure and culture services reflects the reality we see in Highland communities. It is yet another example of the SNP’s broken relationship with rural Scotland.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are therefore fighting for long-term funding of these services, including the under-threat TRACC in Tain. That is about delivering change with fairness at its heart."

Neil Alexander, Scottish Liberal Democrat culture and sports spokesperson and candidate for Inverness and Nairn, added:

“The SNP are utterly clueless about the needs of communities.

“Places like swimming pools, sports halls, community hubs are at the heart of what makes so many local areas tick. But by starving councils of funding over almost two decades, the SNP have made it much harder for local authorities to support those essential services.

“Scotland deserves better than this. Scottish Liberal Democrats have a realistic plan to give councils the funding they need so they can ensure their communities thrive.”