The Scottish authorities will sponsor care house employees after Sir Keir Starmer modified the expert employee visa this yr, Scotland’s first minister has introduced.
John Swinney, giving his keynote speech on the Scottish Nationwide Get together (SNP) convention, mentioned the federal government will “step in” to sponsor “hundreds of dedicated workers” to allow them to “work, pay tax and help keep Scotland’s care homes running”.
He mentioned they are going to have the ability to “start work immediately”.
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In July, the federal government halted new abroad functions for the social care employee visa, an arm of the expert employee visa.
Mr Swinney mentioned this has meant “thousands of care workers here in the UK entirely legally have been left high and dry”.
“Scotland’s older people must not pay the price for Westminster’s prejudice,” he added.
Stroll-in GPs
Mr Swinney additionally mentioned the Scottish authorities will open a community of walk-in GP providers throughout Scotland.
Initially, there shall be 15 websites, staffed by GPs and nurses, open from 12pm to 8pm, seven days every week.
“This is just the start, we will expand this network,” he mentioned.
The SNP chief mentioned no appointments shall be wanted, and so they anticipate to ship a couple of million further GP appointments throughout the subsequent yr.
Independence
Staying true to the SNP’s roots, Mr Swinney offered Scottish independence as the answer to the challenges he says are posed by Westminster governance.
He argued that self-governance and SNP management are delivering tangible advantages for Scotland.
“Today, I believe it will be revulsion at Westminster’s race to the right that will change Scotland’s status again,” he mentioned.
“From a so-called devolved nation, to what we can be: A modern, outward-looking, inclusive, compassionate country.
“Not a devolved nation, however the world’s latest impartial nation.”
Mr Swinney added that solely Scotland can take care of Scotland and its folks, which he mentioned included everybody within the nation.
“Yes, I am proud to say that refugees are welcome here,” he mentioned to a lot applause.
