On Thursday April 2nd 2026, Carers of East Lothian hosted a hustings. The hustings were organised to give carers a chance to hear directly from local candidates standing in the Scottish elections in May 2026. Carers were invited to submit questions to Carers of East Lothian that they would like posed to candidates. A selection of these questions were chosen to provide a well-rounded overview of the issues raised, as well as the challenges we understand carers are currently facing.
Carers, staff and board members of Carers of East Lothian were joined by the following candidates:
- Paul Mclennan (SNP)
- Martin Whitfield (Labour)
- Miles Brigges (Conservatives)
- Jane Alliston Pickard (Liberal Democrats)
- Angela Ross (Reform)
At Carers of East Lothian, we know that Scotland’s unpaid carers face considerable challenges as the pressure on our health and social care system mounts. Locally, we know that East Lothian’s population has increased significantly in recent years and continued growth is projected. We know that population growth will result in a continued rise in pressure on public services, which will lead to even more unpaid carers caring for longer and in more intensive caring roles.
Research from Carers UK tells us that every day nearly 1000 people will become unpaid carers in Scotland and that the economic value of unpaid care is £15.9 billion a year. However, this comes at a significant personal cost, a cost that is often undervalued and overlooked.
From our experience of directly supporting unpaid carers in East Lothian over the past 30 years, we know that caring can have a significant impact on carers’ physical and mental health and overall wellbeing. Many carers provide support around the clock, often without the opportunity to take breaks and struggling to maintain balance in their own lives.
We also know that many carers worry about what would happen to the person they care for if something were to happen to them. Too often, carers are forced to give up work, put their own ambitions on hold, and face financial hardship, with some being pushed into poverty as a result of their caring role. During the hustings, we urged all parties to make a clear commitment ahead of the 2026 election to supporting unpaid carers. We were grateful to all the candidates for taking the time to attend, to listen to carers and answer their questions.
We know that it can often be difficult for carers to attend events at the time and date they are scheduled and therefore the session was recorded. You can view that recording here:
Recording of Carers of East Lothian hustings event 2nd April 2026