Christine Jardine
Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West
Families being left to struggle alone
Christine is calling on the Scottish Government to introduce a new Nursery Premium to support children in more deprived areas of Scotland in their early years.
The premium would mirror the Scottish Government’s pupil equity funding, in which schools are provided with additional funds to spend on measures which will boost attainment among pupils from the more deprived backgrounds.
Christine said:
“It is simply unacceptable that so many families are missing out on the support they are eligible to receive. That is why we must improve the availability of childcare as well as increasing the awareness for those eligible.
“Parents should never be forced out of work by a lack of affordable childcare, least of all during a cost of living crisis.
“If the UK or Scottish Government want to help more parents back to work, they should simply implement the Liberal Democrat plan for childcare that is flexible, affordable and fair.”
About Christine
Christine is the UK Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West.
Before Parliament, Christine was a broadcast journalist with the BBC and taught journalism at the University of Strathclyde.
Since being elected, she has campaigned on air quality, pension equality for WASPI women, medicinal cannabis, refugees' right to work and the cost of living. She is Vice-Chair of the All Party Group for Choice at the End of Life.
First elected in 2017, Christine was re-elected in 2019.
Edinburgh West speaks up on Cost of Living
Christine has launched a Cost of Living survey to which over 700 households have already responded.
The Lib Dem MP is contacting residents to find out how the crisis is affecting them and what action they want to see from their politicians.
She said: “We mustn’t lose sight of the impact that this is having on real people who are finding the cost of everything from their shopping to energy bills or simply keeping a roof over their families heads getting more difficult by the day.
“This is not just about money markets or the value of the pound; it has a real and direct impact on the lives of families, pensioners and businesses and I want to know what you want your politicians to do about it.
“From the results so far, it is clear that people in Edinburgh West feel that the UK Government is simply not doing enough to ease the burden people are increasingly facing."
