Re-elect Gordon MacDonald for Edinburgh Pentlands

As your MSP, we have achieved much over the past ten years – at a time when Scotland’s budget is being cut in real terms by the UK Government, and the effects of Brexit are starting to hit Scotland.

Delivering on Health & Education

Better Health Facilities

Over the last ten years, I have worked hard on behalf of the people of Edinburgh Pentlands to help deliver new medical facilities across the constituency.   

  • Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre
  • Allermuir Health Centre
  • Ratho Surgery
Investing in a Smarter Scotland

Currie Community High school will be built with a target opening date of 2024 and funding for the replacement school for the Wester Hailes Education Centre was announced in December 2020.  

Delivering the best start in life

Increased the entitlement for all three and four years to 30 hours per week term time from August 2021. New nursery buildings are being built at Nether Currie Primary and St Marks Primary.

Fairness for pupils

Introduced the £120m Pupil Equity Funding for head teachers, free school meals for P1 to P3, a national minimum School Clothing Grant of £100 and the Education Maintenance Allowance supporting deprived areas.

The best deal for students

Invested over £1 billion per year in Scotland’s universities plus new campuses for our colleges.   Full-time college students in Scotland have the highest bursary in the UK, and benefit from free tuition under the SNP.

Delivering on Housing & Transport

More affordable homes

Partnering with councils and landlords across Scotland since 2007, the Scottish Government has partnered with Edinburgh Council to deliver 7,425 affordable homes – including 5,282 for social rent.

Across Scotland, that’s 96,750 affordable homes under the SNP – including 66,962 for social rent.

Over the last 5 years, affordable homes have been built across the constituency from North Sighthill to Fernieflatt Neuk to the new development taking place at Oxgangs Green. The SNP-led council have committed to spend £2.5 billion over the next decade to build 10,000 new affordable homes – one of the most ambitious housing projects in the UK.

Affordable Home Ownership 

Since 2007, more than 28,000 households have been supported into home ownership through our Help to Buy scheme.

Helping first time buyers

Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, the Scottish successor to Stamp Duty, prioritises support for first time buyers, resulting in 80% of first time buyers not paying any tax on their purchase.

Private Rent Controls 

Councils can apply to Scottish Ministers to have an area designated as a ‘rent pressure zone’ if they can show that rents in the area are rising too much and are causing problems for the tenants.

Investing for the Future

ScotRail

Invested £8 billion into Scotland’s railways since 2007:

  • New Hitachi 385 electric trains on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts line – the UK’s best performing new trains
  • Electrification of the line serving Curriehill, Wester Hailes, Kingsknowe and Slateford to reduce our carbon footprint.
Green Bus Fund 

Lothian Buses received over £8 million to buy more than 100 low emission, hybrid, or electric buses.

Free Bus Travel

Over one million Scots now enjoy free bus travel, making around 145 million bus journeys a year.

Young people have been hit hard and we are working to introduce a new statutory scheme allowing 5 to 18 year olds access to free bus travel.

#BothVotesSNP

At the Scottish Parliament election on May 6th, it is important you cast both votes for the SNP. I ask that you return me as your MSP and cast your regional vote for Nicola Sturgeon.

Just think what we could achieve with the full powers of an independent country back at the heart of Europe!