Community Cohesion

Councillors highlighted escalating concerns around community cohesion at the latest meeting of COSLA Leaders on 29 August. The following statement was released by COSLA President, Cllr Morrison, after the meeting:

“While there is an important democratic right to peaceful protest and assembly in this country, councils across Scotland are highlighting growing concern about the rise in protests where false claims and hateful rhetoric are being spread, and where the expression of racist sentiment, violence and intimidation are becoming commonplace. Coupled with an associated increase in misleading and factually incorrect information being circulated online, this is resulting in increasing divisions in our communities that are deeply worrying. COSLA therefore reaffirms the commitment of Scottish councils to welcome all people who are seeking safety in this country and to work in partnership across our communities to ensure that all feel safe and included, and are treated with dignity and respect, no matter where they are from”.

The following statement from Cllr Chalmers was added to the COSLA press release: “Scotland has a proud history of welcoming people who are fleeing conflict and oppression, and Scottish councils continue to play a key role in this. In recent years this has included providing support for people fleeing the war in Ukraine and for people whose lives were under threat because of their work with the UK Government in Afghanistan. It is right and proper that asylum applicants are also provided with the support that they need while their claims for asylum are being assessed. However, it should be noted that it is the Home Office which provides them with accommodation and financial support during this process”.

Work is underway to agree priority areas for COSLA in this space over coming months, with initial engagement with LA officers already undertaken in the last few weeks.