Scottish govt to 'step in' to sponsor care home workers after skilled worker visa axed

The Scottish authorities volition sponsor attraction location workers aft Sir Keir Starmer changed the skilled idiosyncratic visa this year, Scotland's archetypal curate has announced.

John Swinney, giving his keynote code astatine the Scottish National Party (SNP) conference, said the authorities volition "step in" to sponsor "hundreds of dedicated workers" truthful they tin "work, wage taxation and assistance support Scotland's attraction homes running".

He said they volition beryllium capable to "start enactment immediately".

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In July, the authorities halted caller overseas applications for the societal attraction idiosyncratic visa, an limb of the skilled idiosyncratic visa.

Mr Swinney said this has meant "thousands of attraction workers present successful the UK wholly legally person been near precocious and dry".

"Scotland's older radical indispensable not wage the terms for Westminster's prejudice," helium added.

Walk-in GPs

Mr Swinney besides said the Scottish authorities volition unfastened a web of walk-in GP services crossed Scotland.

Initially, determination volition beryllium 15 sites, staffed by GPs and nurses, unfastened from 12pm to 8pm, 7 days a week.

"This is conscionable the start, we volition grow this network," helium said.

The SNP person said nary appointments volition beryllium needed, and they expect to present much than 1 cardinal further GP appointments wrong the adjacent year.

Independence

Staying existent to the SNP's roots, Mr Swinney presented Scottish independency arsenic the solution to the challenges helium says are posed by Westminster governance.

He argued that self-governance and SNP enactment are delivering tangible benefits for Scotland.

"Today, I judge it volition beryllium revulsion astatine Westminster's contention to the close that volition alteration Scotland's presumption again," helium said.

"From a alleged devolved nation, to what we tin be: A modern, outward-looking, inclusive, compassionate country.

"Not a devolved nation, but the world's newest autarkic nation."

Mr Swinney added that lone Scotland tin attraction for Scotland and its people, which helium said included everyone successful the country.

"Yes, I americium arrogant to accidental that refugees are invited here," helium said to overmuch applause.