Holyrood, Jackson Carlaw and Nicola Sturgeon, where the big drugs debate took place on Thursday.
By Bill Heaney
If there ever was such a thing as a quiet kicking, it reared its head at Holyrood on Thursday on the contentious issue of tackling the scourge of illegal drugs.
Tory leader Jackson Carlaw did a soft shoe shuffle in the direction of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon almost in the guise of asking for a dance.
He told her: “Over the past 10 years, the Scottish National Party Government has launched two major drug strategies. Tragically, during those 10 years, drug deaths have doubled.
“We are now on course to have the largest number of drug deaths per head anywhere in Europe. Does the First Minister believe that the strategies have been a success or a failure?”
Nicola was naturally circumspect at the soft approach – and rightly so since the bold Jackson has been giving her a rough ride at FMQs in recent weeks.
So, it was softly, softly at first.
She told him: “These are challenging issues and I readily concede that this Government—any Government—must remain open to fresh thinking and new ideas.
“The situation with regard to drug deaths is not one that any of us would consider to be acceptable.
“However, as I said in the chamber last week, many of those who have died have lived with alcohol and drug use for a long time—such people become more vulnerable as they grow older as a result of their complex health and social needs.
“Although I do not overstate the point, more encouraging is the fact that the last report showed fewer deaths among the under-25 population.
“Recent reports also highlight falling heroin use—again, particularly among under-25s.”
Nicola said she was sure that Jackson Carlaw was aware of ongoing work to consider what more could be done to tackle drug deaths.
“That work will be of relevance around Scotland, but we want to see the outcomes from it before we consider what further action we should take,” she added.
It was almost a “we are all in this together” moment, and the two leaders were almost soft-soaping each other exchanging pleasantries.
But things turned quite testy when Jackson Carlaw said: “We all want to sort the crisis, but the first step is surely to admit that the current policy is not working as it should. Regrettably, it has been a failure.
“I have an example of that. We know that rehabilitation services in prisons can be vital in turning around people’s lives.”
However, one of his Tory colleagues had discovered that in Barlinnie, which is one of our biggest prisons, a successful voluntary project—a recovery cafe where people “can go to get their lives back on track” is facing closure.
Mr Carlaw asked: “How can it be right that we prioritise spending millions of pounds on methadone programmes, yet successful projects such as the cafe are put at risk?”
It’s one thing to have a cool debate though and quite another to accuse the First Minister and her party of failing to deal with anything, never mind the country’s drug problems.
Not only were the SNP failing to deal with them, but they were now closing down “a recovery café” which was helping to tackle the problem in Barlinnie Prison.
Nicola was having none of it, and adversarial debate almost met itself coming in while walking out the chamber doors.
She said: “It is important that I advise members that the Scottish Government has not previously funded recovery cafes.
“However, we provide funding for the Scottish Recovery Consortium, and the Scottish Prison Service adopts a therapeutic approach in dealing with addiction issues and provides support for those with addiction problems who are in their care.
“The new alcohol and drug strategy highlights the importance of recovery communities and the need for them to be at the heart of any proposals.
“They help to reduce stigma, because they provide the visible face of recovery, as well as insights into addiction and harm.
“Through our sustained funding of the Scottish Recovery Consortium, we will continue to do what we can to support the growth of recovery communities across the country.”
The SNP were not to blame for the exponential rise in deaths. She had shot the Carlaw fox and caused him to whimper back: “My question was not intended as a criticism of that mix of approaches.
“Just a few miles from Parliament is Castle Craig hospital near West Linton, which is a drug rehabilitation centre with capacity for residential drug rehab patients.
“Hospital staff told him that Castle Craig is not receiving national health service referrals and is mostly kept going by patients who are referred from the Netherlands for treatment.
“Is not the First Minister, like me, concerned that Dutch patients are getting better access to that rehabilitation project here in Scotland than local Scots who are in need of the same support and treatment?”
The debate had now got beyond testy. The First Minister said: “I am very happy to look into that specific example. We want people to have access to a broad range of rehabilitation services. The Scottish Government is providing £70 million this financial year to reduce the harms that are caused by alcohol and drugs.
“That includes an additional £20 million for drug and alcohol services, which is being allocated to support new approaches, so that we respond in a much more joined-up and person-centred way. Such investment is important.
“I am not trying to make a party-political point about a very serious issue, but it is also important that we are prepared to take forward innovative and evidence-based new approaches, even if at first they seem to be challenging, particularly for public opinion.
“That is why we supported the principles behind Glasgow’s proposals for a medically supervised safer drug consumption facility and heroin-assisted treatment in the city.
“It is important that we work with health and social care partnerships on new approaches, as well as ensuring that we invest in rehabilitation.
“I hope that the Conservatives will think about giving us support on that, because we need to persuade the United Kingdom Government to do what is required.”
All hope of political parties working together disappeared out the window and headed up and over Arthur’s Seat.
Jackson Carlaw said: “I respect the First Minister’s approach to that policy. We have looked at it, but, unfortunately, it is the one policy in this area on which we fundamentally disagree.
“We think that the policy should be to get people clean of drugs, not to provide opportunities for people to take them.
“Scottish Conservatives have set out a clear plan to tackle Scotland’s growing drugs crisis, which is to get first-time offenders into treatment, direct more money into rehabilitation programmes run by third sector bodies and, at the same time, at least review the failed methadone programme.”
And as for consensus, he added: “Let us admit that, in politics at the moment, we are not overrun with issues on which we can form consensus.
“However, on this one vital issue, will the First Minister commit today to working across the chamber—we will commit to that—to improve the drugs strategy for the next 10 years, so that we can cut drug deaths and drug addiction and come down hard on those peddling misery in our communities?”
The truce was over almost before it had begun when the First Minister said: “I am slightly concerned at the almost knee-jerk way in which Jackson Carlaw ruled out the fresh thinking around safer drug consumption facilities.
“If we are genuinely to try and find a consensus, we have to be open to new thinking, and that will sometimes be very tough and challenging.
“I appeal to Jackson Carlaw to reconsider his opposition to that policy, just as he is asking me to be open-minded to any proposals that he makes.”
She added: “We will continue to ensure that we have the right strategies in place to deal with what we all accept is a challenging and complex issue.
“First, that involves taking a very hard line against those who supply drugs—and we saw figures earlier this week about police seizures of drugs.
“Secondly, it definitely involves support, particularly rehabilitation support, for those who are addicted to drugs.
“Thirdly, it involves being open to new ideas and new thinking.
“If we can all agree broadly around that approach, perhaps we can build a consensus that allows us to tackle something that we all agree is unacceptable?
“We want to see a considerably improved situation, and I hope that we have the support of Jackson Carlaw and the Conservatives on that.”
The SNP conclusion that they “hope” to have consensus with the Conservatives on a new drugs strategy doesn’t seem very hopeful at all. But we’ll see what happens next.
My own feeling is that all the parties will give ready agreement to a new drugs strategy – provided it is their.
DRUGS RECOVERY – GLASGOW
Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs have been recovered in a police operation in Glasgow. Around 4. 40pm on Wednesday 20 March 2019, officers from Glasgow’s serious and organised crime unit, entered a flat in Fountainwell Drive, Glasgow and recovered more than 31 kg of what’s believed to be herbal cannabis. The discovery has an estimated street value of more than £315,000. A 26 year old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the seizure and is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday 21 March 2019.
Detective Inspector Steven Elliott said: “Countless lives are affected by drugs and the damage they cause. This significant seizure demonstrates our ongoing commitment and determination to rid our communities of drugs. Through effective intelligence gathering the public can be sure we will do everything in our power to stop these harmful substances getting onto our streets and that those involved will be targeted.”