Orkney’s MSP condemns public sector marketing freeze

Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney, has added his voice to the growing opposition to the Scottish Government’s decision to freeze all expenditure on public sector marketing, saying that the decision “poses serious public health risk in the isles.”

Finance Minister Shona Robison announced the freeze as part of a package of up to £500m of in-year spending cuts. Government public health marketing campaigns, including on mental health and stroke, as well as campaigns focussed on teacher recruitment and reducing violence against women are among those pulled.

Commenting, Liam McArthur said:

“This decision poses a serious public health risk in the isles. Orkney’s print media remains a key source of news with a wide reach across the county, and I’m all too aware of the role it plays in getting vital public health information out into the community.

“More broadly, though, this funding represents a vital source of revenue for the independent media sector. The decision to freeze it on such short notice threatens the viability of an industry already operating on narrow margins and will doubtless foster considerable uncertainty for those working in the sector. In this context, it is also simply unreasonable to ask that local media platform public health information for free.

“I have now written to the Finance Secretary, adding my voice to the concerns raised by industry representatives in Orkney and across Scotland about the damaging impacts of this decision, and will be pressing the government to take a different approach.”