Delighted to share news of the very productive, long over due, in person chat with Jamie Stone MP for Caithness, East Ross and Sutherland this morning.
Background
Jamie was the Chair of the original Gaps in Support APPG. In terms of the number of MPs who pledged their support, it was the largest APPG in the history of APPGs. Yet, for reasons entirely unfathomable, it closed down in October 2022 without redress or resolution.
Since the end of 2022, Excluded Scotland and ExcludedUK have been trying to find out why.
Following the election in July 2024, a new Westminster APPG was formed in February 2025 under a new name. Excluded Scotland contacted Jamie’s office several times, but our enquiries went no further than an auto-responder reply. Our goal was to ensure the excluded taxpayers in Scotland could count on his support for the new APPG and amplify the voice of the Scottish Excluded again.
Previous Work in Scotland
Jamie is aware of my work with the Scottish Government in 2020 and 2021, challenging the flawed and discriminatory decisions made by the third-party processor UMi’s automated online service for Scottish grant applications, namely the Mobile Close Contact grants and the Newly Self-Employed grants.
The system was initially unfit for purpose, but by working closely with Scottish Government representatives—meeting two to three times a week—we were able to iron out the issues in UMi’s processing. This effort resulted in thousands of overturned grant refusals for members of the Excluded community in Scotland.
Meeting Today – 17th September 2025
After a previously planned surgery on 4th August, was cancelled due to a storm, Jamie and I finally caught up this morning in Garve Public Hall. He arrived fresh off the overnight sleeper train from London—such is the life of a busy MP from the far north of Scotland.
In respect of why the previous APPG closed down without notice or tangible outcome, Jamie had no recollection. We checked online sources during the meeting, but nothing was apparent.
The Current Situation
I shared with Jamie the position now, which centres on four clear asks from the Excluded in Scotland, and certainly those in his constituency.
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APPG Membership and Priorities
For Jamie to join the current APPG and work towards three key priorities. -
Acknowledgement and Apology
Both the UK and Scottish Governments must recognise the injustice and detriment suffered by those excluded from Covid-19 financial support. -
Assurance
Governments must guarantee that excluded taxpayers will never again be overlooked in future financial assistance schemes during forced lockdowns or similar crises. -
Financial Parity
Both governments should provide financial redress, giving those previously excluded the same backdated level of support that the rest of the UK’s taxpayers received.
Of these, the most essential is the assurance that tangible measures will be put in place to ensure that no section of society is excluded from support in any future crisis. For this to happen, there must first be acknowledgement of wrongdoing, followed by an apology.
Subsequently, those who were excluded should be offered parity of support. They paid into the same system as everyone else, but it failed to support them.
It was noted, however, that financial parity is likely to be a long way off, given that groups such as the 1950s women and Sub-Postmasters have yet to have their claims settled. It was also acknowledged that the Covid Inquiries are still ongoing.
Nevertheless, it was stressed that the Excluded cannot wait 5.5 years down the line for inquiry outcomes. The assurance must be addressed now, with tangible mitigation measures put in place quickly. These could be adjusted later if the Covid Inquiry findings require it.
Revisiting Solutions
We discussed the wide range of taxpayers who were excluded, and the brief papers suggested five years ago by Dr Sonali Joshi at ExcludedUK, which offered possible solutions. These could provide a valuable starting point, but ultimately it is a matter for the current government to fix, not for taxpayers who were failed by the previous one.
Jamie’s Commitment
Jamie readily agreed to join the new APPG, where his Liberal Democrat colleagues Dr Manuela Perteghella and Al Pinkerton are already Officers, alongside Chair Steve Witherden (Labour) and Greg Smith (Conservative).
Jamie acknowledged that the voices of the Excluded in Scotland must be part of the APPG’s discussions, and that decisions should not be made by those with no lived experience here. Excluded Scotland was, after all, formed precisely because the UK Government thrust some of Scotland’s taxpayers into exclusion from Covid-19 support, leaving 10% of people destitute while looking after the other 90%.
Jamie will also return to me with an update on what happened when the APPG was closed in October 2022. More importantly, he will now take up the mantle and work towards the three key asks we have outlined.
Next Steps
Jamie will as join the APPG – UK government is currently on recess. He mentioned that his colleague Enya is back on his team which will be helpful, and he will also make enquiries through Health and Social Care Commons Select Committee Chair – Lelya Moran to ask about developments from that side too. He has all my contact details and will remain in touch as this progresses.
