Members of East Lothian Labour Party were campaigning for an end to Scotland’s housing crisis over the weekend as part of Scottish Labour’s campaign ‘Action Day’.

The focus of the ‘Action Day’ was housing, following Richard Leonard’s keynote speech to Scottish Labour conference where he outlined Labour’s transformative plan to tackle Scotland’s housing crisis.

Mr Leonard pledged a ‘Mary Barbour law’ to ensure fair rents and higher quality standards in the private rented sector, and outlined new ways to invest and build more council homes.

Led by Iain Gray MSP and Martin Whitfield MP, local members were in North Berwick campaigning for an end to the scandal of homelessness, rough sleeping, soaring rents and too few affordable homes.

Speaking about the campaigning, Iain Gray MSP said:

“The SNP has taken a housing shortage in Scotland and turned it into a housing crisis. Homelessness is soaring and there are nowhere near enough affordable homes being built.

“Richard Leonard has already outlined Labour’s plan to transform housing in Scotland, including measures such as a Mary Barbour law to control private rents. We need to see real and radical change in housing, with too many people pushed into poverty because of housing costs.

“Here in East Lothian, the Labour-led Council has pledged to invest in new affordable housing, including homes for social rent, but they and other authorities need support from the Scottish Government. Only a Labour government at Holyrood will provide the investment we need.”

Martin Whitfield MP said:

“At last year’s General Election in June, I was honoured to be one of Scottish Labour’s six new MPs. That was an important step on our recovery in Scotland, but we are in touching distance of winning many more.

“With the Tories clinging on to power through a grubby deal with the DUP, the number of seats Labour wins in Scotland at the next general election will be crucial in building a majority to make Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister.

“That is why we will continue to be on an election footing and take Labour’s message out into communities across East Lothian and the whole of Scotland.”