The Government has been urged to hurry up in replacing the leaders of Scotland’s drug death taskforce after they quit.
Richard Simpson, a former deputy justice minister and psychiatrist, called for fast action after taskforce chair Professor Catriona Matheson and vice chair Neil Richardson both quit, claiming their work was being rushed.
The Record revealed how the bombshell resignations came two days before Christmas, leaving the battle against Scotland’s drug death crisis in disarray.
Simpson, a fellow academic at Stirling University with Matheson, said it would be disastrous to simply disband the DDTF, which was formed in 2019 after pressure from the Record over the spiralling drug deaths toll.
He said: “When they were appointed, they were given a timeframe but the Scottish Government has now moved the goalposts on them, which is not their fault.
“The onus is on the Scottish Government to take urgent action and they have failed to do this.”
Scotland’s Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance said talks will take place with other taskforce members.
She added: “The work of the taskforce is not done and I will now speak to the other members and decide how we can best continue their valuable work.”
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