Much praise is due to the redoubtable Annabel Godie, Leader of the Scottish Tories. In negotiations with the SNP over their budget passed yesterday, valuable concessions were extracted that will boost police numbers, reduce business rates and, most encouragingly for me, re-balance drug treatment towards abstinence based programmes aimed at recovery rather than maintenance.
Parents of addicts in Glasgow have told me of the despair they feel seeing their grown-up children parked on methadone for five or ten years. They live zombie like existences and are given little encouragement to get properly clean and re-integrate into mainstream society. Now, thanks to the efforts of Annabel, ably supported by Murdo Fraser and Bill Aitken, projects like the Maxie Richards Foundation and Bethany Christian Trust should get fair access to drug treatment budgets.
Scottish Conservatives' skilful engagement with the SNP has made them the second most influential party in the Scottish Parliament - no mean feat considering their recent electoral fortunes.
Recent Comments