SNP LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS
HAVE YOU POSTED YOUR BALLOT PAPER?
IT HAS TO BE THERE BY AUGUST 31!
I
know that this question does not apply to all of our readers but
it is important that, if it applies to you, you are able to
answer, “Yes I have!” Members campaigned long and hard for the
right of every SNP member to have a vote in the election of the
next Party Leader and Depute Leader and all of us should take
this opportunity to participate. The last figures that I heard
put the turnout over 50% but that’s not good enough. So if you
are sitting with your ballot paper at home please do something
about it. Fill it in and take a walk down to the nearest
pillar-box. There’s no excuse. But do it NOW because there are
still weird things happening with the post and you want to make
sure it gets there in time!
The last of the
Hustings meetings was last Friday and throughout the series of
meetings the contenders for Leadership must have spoken to at
least 2,000 members from all the airts and pairts and taken
questions from the floor. I attended 5 of these meetings – not
that I’m an anorak; I just happened to be taxi driver for the
evening. Although I had declared my support for the
Salmond-Sturgeon team early in the proceedings and have been
shown no good reason why I should change my opinion, I was
impressed by the quality of all the candidates. And while I am
confident that enough members agree with me to bring my hopes to
fruition, I will be happy to work with the new Leader and Deputy
Leader whoever they may be. Being elected by One Member One
Vote will give the new Leadership team enormous moral authority
in the task that lies ahead to pull the SNP together and take us
into the next phase of our campaign for Independence for
Scotland. And because the outcome will have been decided by a
truly democratic method members should abide by the outcome and
fall in with the will of the majority.
The SNP talks a
lot about Scottish Independence and surveys show that people
know that’s what we stand for. However we have not been very
good lately in fleshing it out so that folk understand what it
will meant to them, what benefits it will bring to their lives
and to the futures of their children and grandchildren. One of
the tasks of the new Deputy Leader will be to manage the
development of SNP policy. Not to make it – that’s for Party
members to do through National Council and Conference – but to
make sure we have policies in place to fit our vision of an
Independent Scotland. I have heard Nicola Sturgeon speak of
this at a number of Hustings saying how important that job was
going to be because it’s through the presentation of our
policies that we will persuade voters that Independence is the
best option for our nation. The devolved settlement that we
have just now is not enough. We need the powers of a real
parliament to make the difference. This is a chance for a fresh
start and an opportunity to campaign with new vigour. Party
membership is already growing. More than 700 new members since
the Leadership contest started is an indication of what can be
done if we really work at it.
GET WELL SOON
I
am very sad to hear that Margaret Ewing is unwell and was taken
into hospital last week to undergo tests. Doctors have
ruled out a recurrence of cancer which Margaret successfully
defeated two years ago. She is, however, suffering from
pneumonia and will remain in Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin while
further tests are conducted.
Margaret paid tribute to the
hospital staff, saying: “The staff at Dr Gray’s have been
fantastic. Their professionalism and kindness is a credit to the
Health Service and makes my time with them less of a trial. I
have been no stranger to the NHS over the last few years, but
each time I visit, I am struck again by the amazing dedication
of the staff.”
I am sure you will all join with me
in sending warm wishes for a speedy recovery.
COUNCIL MATTERS
There’s
been a spate of by-elections for Council seats recently and the
SNP has had some successes.
On
August 12 we won a
Council ward in
Speyside, in Moray Council area, which was caused by the
resignation of jailed 'Independent' Council Convener Eddie
Aldridge. The victory is the SNP's first local government gain
in more then two years. SNP standard-bearer Peter Farquharson
came first in a five strong field and Angus Robertson, local SNP
Member of Parliament, was justifiably pleased saying that “It
was a very good result for the Party in Moray. Peter Farquharson
stood on a manifesto putting local communities and people
first. I’m sure he will make an excellent councillor.”
On August 19
there were two Council By-elections in Clackmannan Council
area. One – in Tillicoultry - was caused by our own SNP
Councillor resigning and the other – in Menstrie – was caused by
the resignation of a Labour Councillor. The SNP's Janis
Paterson recaptured the Menstrie seat which had been lost in
last year's main polls and local SNP activist Helen McGregor won
the ward of Tillicoultry West. These were good results and
another welcome boost to our local government representation.
During the last three weeks I, as part of the activist team and
with the Candidate Margaret Fox, have been knocking doors,
collecting signatures on a petition and delivering leaflets in
Bothwell where voters go to the polls on 26 August so the result
will be known before you read this. It’s been hard work and
good fun and we’ve spoken to a lot of people about the SNP but I
think it’s a “don’t hold your breath” situation for us.
The interesting
thing is that while canvassing round the doors and in the
streets we’ve been using a petition seeking support for the SNP
policy of a Local Income Tax to replace the Council Tax and
getting a lot of signatures. The late Councillor for the ward
was Labour and over the years the Tories and LibDems have each
had a shot of being Councillor. Historically the SNP have not
been challenging them as strongly as we should have done. But
the people who signed our petition were genuine in their belief
that the Council Tax was unfair and that a Local Income Tax was
the fair way to replace it. I believe that this campaign could
be really effective if we push it at every level.
THE BIG
BLOCKADE
I
do not believe that the UK Government should have nuclear
powered submarines. I do not think that such submarines should
be armed with nuclear warheads. I do not accept that these
weapons of mass destructions are necessary nor should they be
based in Scotland less than 30 miles from my home in Scotland’s
largest city. It will not surprise you, therefore, to hear that
I was at the protest at the Faslane Naval Base on Monday. I did
not put myself in the way of getting arrested but I’ve been
there and I’ve done that over the years since the early days
when the US submarines first came to Scotland.
The gathering was
not big but the quality was superb. At 5.30am, wearing my
Scottish CND hat, I was a kind of “bus monitor”, ticking names
off a list and gathering ticket money in George Square. The
passengers, in three buses, were off to peacefully blockade the
gates of the Faslane Naval Base for the shift that started at
7.00am. Swiftly changing to my SNP hat I met Nicola Sturgeon
and we drove to Faslane where we met Sandra White, Rob Gibson
and Linda Fabiani (all SNP MSPs) and a group of SNP activists,
there to support the blockade of the base. (There was a
considerable Police presence and a complete blockade was not
managed till an hour later.)
The
diversity of the people who attend demonstrations has always
intrigued me and this was a very diverse group united in their
determination to rid not only Scotland but also the world of
nuclear weapons. Two protestors climbed up a telephone pole and
strung a banner across the north gate of the base, the Clergy
Action Group held a service on the roundabout and a choir sang
an oratorio composed for the event. Meanwhile a group of
activists and politicians “locked on” to each other by an
arrangement of tubes sat in front of the gate to stop access.
The same kind of activity was taking place at all the gates. A
Finnish woman was arrested as she swam into the base from across
the Loch and two others were arrested for trying to swim to a
submarine. There is always international involvement. Faslane
is an international focus for demonstrating against Trident.
There were around thirty or thirty five arrests, I think, but
there was no violence. The key phrase for these activities is
“Non Violent Direct Action” (NVDA) and people are encouraged go
to NVDA training workshops so that we can keep it that way.
The Media coverage was good. After the next General Election –
whenever that may be - the next UK Parliament will have to take
a decision on the replacement of Trident or agree mechanisms to
extend its life. We have to keep telling them that such weapons
are no longer necessary and that we don’t want them.
There were MSPs
from the SNP, the Greens, the SSP and I saw one brave,
principled Labour MSP there for her personal belief, certainly
not for her Party’s position. The SNP’s political contingent
said that public pressure could bring an end to nuclear missiles
on the Clyde.
Rob Gibson MSP
said: "I first joined the anti-nuclear protests thirty years
ago. In that time I have seen public pressure build as more and
more people become convinced that these weapons are an
obscenity.
Nicola Sturgeon
MSP said: "It's more important than ever to campaign against
nuclear weapons. I cannot understand the hypocrisy of a Prime
Minister who takes us into an illegal war in Iraq over weapons
of mass destruction that don't exist, while he's happy to make
room in Scotland for the most lethal bombs possible. It's high
time that we told Westminster we don't want these weapons on our
river."
Linda Fabiani MSP
said: "The hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is a
sick joke. We now know the truth of Bush and Blair's claims
about Saddam's WMD's. They were a tissue of lies designed to
justify an illegal war. The real WMD's are here on the Clyde,
bringing danger to our shores and shame to our nation. We will
not rest until this stain on Scotland's good name is expunged."
Sandra White MSP
said: "Saddam's non-existent WMD's were never a threat; the
real threat to our safety has always come from the WMD's on the
Clyde. An accident here would devastate a huge area of Scotland.
The only way we can be truly safe from the nuclear menace is to
get rid of these weapons and for Scotland to lead the way
towards a non-nuclear world."
IT’S NO JOKE!
It
was Scottish Gas who got in the news recently by instructing
their call centre staff to tell jokes to each other to ensure
happier times ahead for their customers. But it was not in the
least funny when they announced price increases of 12% for gas
and 9% for electricity starting in September. I listened to one
of their PR people being interviewed on Radio Scotland. “What
profit did Scottish Gas make last year?”, the interviewer
asked. The answer was……Hesitation… and then the answer to quite
a different question. The interviewer did not pursue it …but I
did. Scottish Gas recently announced half-year profits of
£274m! No wonder they did not want to give a straight answer.
They have plans to work to protect customers who are currently
struggling to pay their bills but increases like these will push
even more consumers to their financial limits.
Scottish Gas
blame rising prices and the depletion of North Sea resources for
the action but I am told that Scotland currently produces more
than ten times the amount of gas that it needs. Government
Ministers reacted by telling Scottish Gas customers to change
their supplier. These same Ministers have a target of
eliminating fuel poverty and they’re not going to do that just
by having us chop and change our energy suppliers. The
Chancellor is currently raking in revenues from the North Sea at
record levels but the Government are standing idly by while
consumers suffer.
As a Scottish Gas
customer – or should I say former customer – I’ve spent some
time today identifying an alternative supplier and am about to
“change my supplier”. (It’s not that difficult and there’s a lot
of information available on the “energywatch” website.)
Scottish Gas probably thinks that they can afford to lose a few
customers, secure in the knowledge that the majority will accept
the price increase. I hope they’re wrong and that a huge number
of customers will do the same as me and flex their consumer
muscle to punish this company for the bitter blow to Scottish
customers.
POLICY POSTCARD
We continue our
publication of the SNP Policy Postcards; we will publish a new
one every week, each one dealing with a different aspect of SNP
policy. The full list can be seen on the SNP website under
"Vision" and "Policy".
The
safety and security of individuals and communities should be the
over-riding aim of any policy on criminal justice. Yet, under
the Lib-Lab Coalition, crime and the fear of crime have
increased. Too many of Scotland’s communities are blighted by
crimes like serious assault, vandalism and drugs crimes – areas
where youth offending is highest.
More can be done to tackle crime levels in Scotland now - but
only Independence would allow us to tackle the causes of crime -
such as poverty and deprivation – and make Scotland a safer
place to live.
·
New
Labour is failing to tackle crime. Vandalism has risen by 14% in
the last year, while crimes involving an offensive weapon rose
by 6%.
·
Youth crime costs Scottish taxpayers an estimated £730 million a
year, yet the Scottish Executive has failed to take any action.
·
The
SNP argues for a twin-track attack on youth crime, including
doubling the number of secure places for young offenders, and
introducing Parental Compensation Orders.
SYNOPSIS
The Parliaments
are in recess but our elected representatives are still working
hard. Here are some of the Press Statements made during the
last week.
Monday 23rd August 2004
WHERE HAS SCOTLAND'S OIL MONEY GONE?
Increased
oil revenues net billions - but where are the benefits?
Government
spending plans for the year have been calculated on the basis of
revenues received from an oil price of $27.40, while the cost of
North Sea Oil has reached record levels of over $44 in the past
week, and today sits between $43 and $44 per barrel. Alex
Salmond MP, the Leader of the SNP's Westminster Group called on
the Government to set out their plans for using the additional
tax revenues.
Mr Salmond
said: "The high price of North Sea Oil will mean additional
revenues for the Government of around £5bn in the next two
years. But despite this windfall, the Government appear to be
unsure what to do with Scotland's oil taxes. Scotland's oil is
currently making additional profits of well over £6m per day for
the Treasury. "
The SNP have set
out our proposals for investment but Scotland needs to know now
exactly what will be done with our money. Will the Chancellor
invest this extra cash in much needed projects like creating
rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports to boost Scotland's
economy, or making extra investment in home insulation to combat
fuel poverty and excess winter deaths?
Only the SNP has
a plan to put Scotland's oil revenues back into Scotland's
priorities."
Tuesday 24th
August 2004
OLYMPIC BID
SHOULD NOT BE AT SCOTLAND'S EXPENSE
Pete
Wishart MP, the SNP's Westminster Spokesperson for Culture,
Media and Sport today reiterated the SNP's support for London's
bid to hold the 2012 Olympics in London, but cautioned the First
minister against writing a blank check against the bid. The
current funding plan for the London bid uses a substantial
amount of Lottery Funding, and a guarantee by the Treasury to
underwrite the Games no matter the final cost.
Mr Wishart
said: "The SNP have no problem at all with London hosting the
Olympics. I'm sure everyone in Scotland wishes them good luck in
their endeavour. What we object to are the ludicrous funding
arrangements that the Government have put in place. These
measures mean that although London stands to be the prime
economic beneficiary of a successful bid, the funding cones from
elsewhere.
"Along with a
range of organisations such as Sport Scotland, the SNP is
concerned that tens of millions of pounds could be diverted from
sports development and lottery good causes in Scotland to
support the London Olympic bid - which would leave Scotland
worse off than it is now. It should not be acceptable for
London to get all the benefits of hosting the Olympics, while
Scotland pays the price."
Wednesday 25 August 2004
SMOKING MORE
TOXIC THAN CAR FUMES
CONSULTATION TIME HAS PASSED - TIME FOR
ACTION IS HERE
Mr
Stewart Maxwell, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, has
congratulated the National Cancer Institute on their recent
research which showed that people who smoke cigarettes are
pumping out 10 times more toxic air than cars. Particulate
matter is known to increase the risk of lung cancer and asthma
and these results show that tobacco smoke produced far more fine
particulate matter - the element of air pollution most dangerous
for health - than diesel exhaust.
Mr Maxwell said:
”The study shows that a turbo diesel engine idling for 30
minutes in a garage with the doors closed and then allowing the
fumes to escape meant the particulate matter levels found
outdoors doubled. This in comparison to the same test with three
filter cigarettes where the smoke particulate matter levels was
15 times higher than normal. This combines with the results of
another experiment which found toxic substances in the air of a
smoky room were 120 times higher than that in a smoke free room.
The results of
these studies make abundantly clear the dangers of passive
smoking for non-smokers. It also makes it more imperative than
ever that legislation is put in place, at the first possible
opportunity, to ensure that non-smokers do not suffer the
effects of other peoples’ smoke. The evidence is overwhelming.
"Therefore, I
once again urge the Executive to support my 'Prohibition of
Smoking in Regulated Areas (Scotland) Bill'. They will have my
wholehearted support for any amendments that strengthen the
powers of my Bill. This way we can start to protect the people
of Scotland from the dangers of passive smoking immediately"
Wednesday 25
August 2004
ROBISON
PROPOSES SYSTEM TO CUT CHILDHOOD OBESITY
BUSINESS AND
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT MUST SET A GOOD EXAMPLE
Shadow
Health Minister, Ms Shona Robison MSP has written to the heads
of all supermarket chains in Scotland and the Food Standards
Agency in a further attempt to crack down on childhood obesity
in Scotland.
As part of Ms
Robison's proposed 'Nutritional Composition and Value of Food
and Drink Scotland) Bill' there are plans to introduce a traffic
light labelling system for food and drink which will allow
parents to see at a glance which products are healthy and which
are not.
Following a
meeting with a representative from Tesco, who are currently
looking at ways to trial the system, Ms Robison said: "Every
parent in Scotland wants to ensure that their child has the best
start in life, and healthy eating is one of the main ways that
they can do that. The traffic light system is one part of my
Member's Bill which is aimed at making life easier for busy
parents because they can see at a glance what is good for their
children and what is not.
That is why I am
writing to the heads of all supermarkets which operate in
Scotland to ask them to consider my proposals, and also to the
Food Standards Agency to recommend a universal system that
supermarkets can then use in their stores. Tesco seems to be
leading the field in this area already and I hope that this will
encourage their competitors to follow suit.
Childhood obesity
in Scotland is increasing and both supermarket chains and the
Scottish Parliament must set a good example to stop the problem
becoming any worse. We must promote healthy eating among the
young so that we can try and crack down on health problems that
can affect people in later life."
Tuesday 24 August 2004
HOLYROOD
REPORT WILL BE DELAYED
PARLIAMENT DEBATE WILL NOW OVERSHADOW
HOLYROOD OPENING
Commenting
on the revelations that the publication of Lord Fraser's report
into the Holyrood building is set to be delayed Shadow Finance
Minister Mr Fergus Ewing MSP said:
"Sadly Lord
Fraser has failed to meet the target deadline which he agreed
with the Presiding Officer.
When the report
is published, there should be a period of two weeks where the
public can digest the report and make their own representation
to their MSP, and if they are not given that opportunity then
this will be a report for the Parliament and not for the people.
Since the report
may not be published until the 17th of September then the
Parliament debate two weeks later will overshadow the opening of
Holyrood in October.
Therefore,
serious consideration must now be given to rescheduling the
debate until after the opening of Parliament."
