Wednesday January 7th 2026
This View has been written by Daniel Coleman, Scottish Labour candidate for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale.
Scottish Labour will call time on the SNP’s “soft touch” approach to justice.
Scottish Labour have condemned the SNP’s record on crime and justice, warning that “people are feeling less safe” on the SNP’s watch.
Under the SNP:
– Common assault in Midlothian rose by 28% between 2021 and 2025.
– Shoplifting in Midlothian rose by 66% between 2021 and 2025.
– Violent crime in the Midlothian rose by 32% between 2021 and 2025.
– 22% of people in Midlothian report feeling unsafe walking in their community after dark, including 33% of women.
– Hundreds of drug dealers across Scotland have evaded arrest or had charges dropped.
– The number of Police Officers across Scotland has fallen by more than 870 since 2013.
– 180 Scottish police stations have closed since 2013.
– Scotland’s prison population hit record levels and hundreds of prisoners, including violent criminals, have been released early to manage overcrowding.
Scottish Labour have warned that every part of our justice system was at breaking point under the SNP.
Every single part of our justice system has been pushed to breaking point by this dangerously incompetent SNP government. Crime is on the rise and too many people in Midlothian have been left feeling unsafe. Across Scotland Police officer numbers have been cut and stations shuttered.Our prisons are bursting at the seams and our courts are in disarray – but this is not as good as it gets.
People deserve to feel safe in their homes and in their communities.
This year we have a direct choice between a third decade of SNP chaos or a safer Scotland with Scottish Labour.
A Scottish Labour government will get police back on the frontline where they belong and give every ward in Midlothian a dedicated community police officer.
In just four months we have a chance to call time on the SNP’s soft-touch approach to justice, restore community policing and make our streets safer.
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