Labour MSP Paul O’Kane made the call in Holyrood

An MSP has called on the Scottish Government to “deliver more than warm words” for Scotland’s third sector.

Scottish Labour’s Paul O’Kane challenged cabinet secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville over the Scottish Government’s own decade-long commitment to deliver three-year rolling funding.

O’Kane said in the chamber: “For over a decade this government has pledged multi-year funding settlements for the third sector, most recently at the SCVO Gathering the first minister repeated that commitment.”

He added: “When will she be able to update Parliament and more importantly the third sector on when this will be delivered or it just more warm words from the first minister and this government?”

Somerville said that the Scottish Government was “absolutely committed” to providing for the third sector.

O’Kane said: “From my own experience of working in the third sector, to now scrutinising the work of the Scottish Government as an MSP, I feel I’ve heard the same old story about third sector funding time and time again.

“I’ve visited third sector organisations across west Scotland and what they’ve told me is that long term projects are very difficult things to commit to without that guarantee of funding.

“It’s simply no use for organisations to go year to year wondering what they can afford or what they will have to potentially cut.

“Humza Yousaf has given a commitment to look at multiyear funding, and I for one will keep pressing him and his government to deliver more than warm words, to deliver on that commitment.”