Scottish Labour MPs have hit out at the Scottish Government over its funding for listed places of worship, warning that thousands of historic churches, mosques and temples across Scotland face severe financial pressure without long-term support.
Led by Glasgow South West MP Dr Zubir Ahmed alongside more than 20 Scottish Labour colleagues, the parliamentarians sent a joint letter to Mairi McAllan MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic, challenging the SNP administration’s £1 million pilot fund for places of worship.
Dr Ahmed said:
“I’ve heard directly from churches and places of worship across Glasgow South West about the pressures they’re facing.
“The Scottish Government’s response simply isn’t good enough. £1 million from an existing Historic Environment Scotland budget, with no commitment to a dedicated scheme going forward, falls far short of what our communities need.
“That’s why I’ve joined my colleagues in demanding answers and proper, long-term support – and I’ll keep you updated.”
Funding deficit and threat of closures
In their letter dated 21 August 2026, the group of Scottish Labour MPs pointed out that while a new grant scheme is welcome in principle, it comes 19 months after the UK Government notified Holyrood of structural changes to original funding schemes.
They highlighted that the allocated £1 million—to be drawn from Historic Environment Scotland’s existing, reduced budget—pales in comparison to equivalent support provided to listed places of worship in England, which benefits from year-on-year funding increases.
The letter cites figures from Scotland’s Churches Trust, which estimates that up to one-third of all churches in Scotland could be forced to close by 2030 due to repair backlogs, rising maintenance costs, and insufficient grant support.
Demanding long-term solutions
The signatories — who include Euan Stainbank MP (Falkirk), Graeme Downie MP (Dunfermline and Dollar), Maureen Burke MP (Glasgow North East), and Torcuil Crichton MP (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) — have submitted four formal questions to the Cabinet Secretary, demanding clarity on:
- Specific HES cuts: what existing heritage grants are being cut from the HES budget to fund the £1 million scheme?
- VAT treatment: how HES will handle VAT obligations on existing grants for listed places of worship.
- Impact assessment: what assessment the Scottish Government has made regarding the risk of widespread church closures across Scottish communities.
- Future commitments: whether Holyrood intends to establish a dedicated, long-term funding framework beyond 2027.
The MPs emphasised that historic places of worship serve as vital community hubs, foodbank centres, and architectural landmarks, warning that short-term funding measures put Scotland’s local heritage at grave risk.
