Political parties have clashed over how Scotland can act to protect homeowners who are at risk of being repossessed, as more families face financial difficulties.
Political parties have clashed over how Scotland can act to protect homeowners who are at risk of being repossessed, as more families face financial difficulties.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats, former coalition partners, have joined forces in opposition, together with the Green Party and independent MSP Margo MacDonald to call on the Scottish Government to introduce a pre-court protocol to make it more difficult to repossess a home for mortgage arrears.
Yesterday, The Herald reported how Labour had been successful in securing cross-party support on the issue.
Representatives of the parties met yesterday to outline their case with Glasgow lawyer Mike Dailly, and warned that unless action is taken repossessions will affect even more families. However, the Conservatives say some of the measures would need UK legislation, and the SNP claim the protocol would offer no greater protection.
Mr Dailly, of the Govan Law Centre, said: "I am delighted we have this cross-party consensus. We have had between 5000 and 6000 repossessions each year, but in September it was more than 1000."
He said that the protocol, which states lenders must show courts they have exhausted other steps, had resulted in a decrease of 11% in repossession cases south of the border.
