Friday September 26th 2025
Midlothian Council Leader, Councillor Kelly Parry
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The Leader of Midlothian Council has condemned the Labour Government after yesterday’s announcement (26 September) of £292 million in regeneration funding failed to allocate a single penny to Midlothian.
Council Leader, Councillor Kelly Parry, stated the decision results in a significant loss of potential funding for Midlothian. As the area with the highest population growth in Scotland, there is a clear and urgent need for investment in our infrastructure, communities, businesses, and particularly in our town centres, where this funding could have been effectively deployed.
Cllr Kelly Parry, Leader of Midlothian Council, said:
“Midlothian has once again been ignored by a Westminster government. Despite being one of the areas most in need of investment, our communities have been left out of this latest round of funding.
“We were denied support under the Tories’ Levelling Up scheme, and now Labour has followed the same path — passing us by when we desperately need help.
“At the last election, Labour promised real change. Instead, what we have seen is more of the same neglect that our community has suffered for too long. The people of Midlothian deserve better.
“I note that a smaller ‘impact fund’ of £12 million has also been announced, with details still to come on whether Midlothian will benefit. But even if we do, this will be a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of the £292 million fund from which we have been completely excluded.
“This is not just about figures on a balance sheet — it’s about real families, children, and businesses who are being left behind. Midlothian needs meaningful investment to create jobs, reduce child poverty, and give people hope for the future.
“I am calling on the UK Government to urgently review the criteria used in the allocation of funds and to commit to supporting Midlothian with targeted investment.”
Kirsty McNeil MP commented on the announcement:
“I promised to fight for investment in our communities and have been doing just that. In our Labour Government’s first budget, we delivered the largest funding settlement for Scotland in the history of devolution, with Midlothian benefiting from the Scottish Government receiving an additional £4.9 billion to spend on our NHS, schools and public transport.
“As a consequence of this settlement, Midlothian Council also received millions of funding for 2025/26. That is in addition to the Labour government’s £750 million investment in the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, right here in Midlothian.”
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