ON his first visit to Scotland as Labour leader, Keir Starmer disappointed drugs activists by claiming safe consumption rooms aren’t a “long-term solution” to the country’s drugs crisis.
Yesterday in Holyrood MSPs unanimously agreed a motion declaring drug deaths a public health emergency following nearly 3400 deaths caused by drug misuse in the last three years.
A Scottish Labour amendment adding support for use of public health interventions, like safe consumption facilities, was agreed by 113 votes to one.
READ MORE: MSPs vote for motion declaring Scotland's drug deaths as public health emergency
MSPs also backed a LibDem amendment calling for the Scottish Government to work towards the decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use.
Starmer’s comments on safe consumption spaces are odds with the Scottish party, which unanimously backs the policy.
Speaking in Edinburgh, the Labour leader said: “As with Scottish Labour, I think consumption rooms should be looked at. But do I think they’re the long-term solution? No, I don’t.”
Peter Krykant, who runs a life-saving mobile drugs consumption facility in Glasgow, was furious.
He told the Daily Record: “If we had established these facilities 20 years ago, Britain wouldn’t be in the mess we find ourselves in today. It’s hard to know how Starmer could justify opposing these facilities.
“How can any Labour Party leader, in all conscience, block this when there are 16 drug deaths in the UK every day, mainly coming from deprived communities?”
Krykant, who is running as an independent candidate at the upcoming election, also criticised Starmer’s political approach.
“Here we have the UK Labour leader saying his Scottish party is in the wrong. They have supported a pilot for Glasgow and voted to adopt decriminalisation of drugs as party policy,” he said.
READ MORE: Drugs activist Peter Krykant breaks down in tears in heart-wrenching video
“There will be lots of Scottish Labour people feeling very sold out by what Keir Starmer has said.”
In a tweet, the campaigner added that Starmer’s comments were “very disappointing”.
Drug consumption rooms are supported by the Scottish Government, drugs campaigners, and councillors, but have been repeatedly ruled out by the UK Government.
The Home Office has stressed it will not change the legislation to allow the spaces to operate legally.
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