Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan has criticised the Scottish Executive and Glasgow City Council for abandoning the needs of homeless families at Christmas. Figures revealed in an answer to a parliamentary question by Sheridan this week showed that there was yet another rise this year in the number of people registered as homeless. Overall in Scotland the numbers have risen by 4% this year and 38% over the last five years. Despite claims by Local Government Minister Tom McCabe that Scotland has “the best homeless legislation in Europe”, the number of people registered as homeless in the North Lanarkshire area of his own constituency have gone up by over 200%.

On Thursday, a report from Shelter showed that 5,000 children will be in temporary accommodation over Christmas. Sheridan, Co-Convenor of Scotland’s fastest growing political party said:

“These figures show yet again that all New Labour can offer to homeless people is empty rhetoric”.

Meanwhile, Glasgow City Council have closed a “one stop shop” base for their Homeless Persons Team in the city centre, relocating the various services to a number of sites across the city. Workers slammed the move warning that vulnerable people could be left in the cold and without vital services over the winter.

The Glasgow Solidarity MSP slammed the moves after discussions with staff who had contacted him over the moves:

“The staff understand the issues faced by homeless people and their voices should be heard in any change to services. The people in comfortable offices who merely talk about homelessness need to listen to those who actually work at the coalface."

Homelessness will be one of the main issues on Tommy Sheridan's radio show "Sunday Morning With Citizen Tommy" on Talk 107 tomorrow from 10.00am with a guest from The Big Issue.  www.talk107.co.uk