MPs Diary
Conference Call
Labour Leader Ed Miliband used his speech at the Scottish Labour Conference in Dundee to call for an economy that works not just for the few at the top but for all working people. He attacked Alex Salmond for being obsessed with borders and breaking up Britain and called for a bigger vision than that. For all Salmond’s talk of Scotland as a ‘progressive beacon’ and comparing Scotland to Scandinavia, his big idea seems to be to give Scotland a Corporation Tax of only 12% like Ireland. The truth is that a small business struggling to get by in Maybole has the same concerns as a small business struggling to get by in Manchester; and a pensioner struggling to keep warm in Gateshead is no different from a pensioner struggling to keep warm in Girvan.
Johann’s Values on Show
New Leader of Scottish Labour, Johann Lamont, spelled out her values and her vision for a Scotland based on Social Justice in her first Conference speech as Leader. I am pleased she has chosen to lead Labour’s Commission on the future of Devolution. This will consider all aspects of devolution – what will benefit Scotland most in terms of powers for the Scottish Parliament and for Local Government. A clear No in the Independence Referendum will open the way to improving devolution for Scotland within the UK.
She also said Scotland, under an SNP government, had seen jobless rates rise to nudge 250,000 and youth unemployment "out of control". And she criticised Scottish ministers for allowing £790m of work on the new Forth road bridge to go to China, Poland and Spain, with only £20m of contracts for home-grown firms.
Visiting Troops in Falklands
By the time you read this, I will be in the Falkland Islands with other members of the Defence Select Committee. The visit which has been planned since last year comes at a time of rising tensions with Argentina over the islands' future. However, it is no different really from the visits we make to other places where British troops serve such as Portsmouth or Colchester – only that the logistics of the visit are more complex. There is a garrison of over a thousand troops there as well as the crews of RAF aircraft stationed there. We will be visiting our troops, talking to local community leaders and assessing the current situation.
I name this ship ...
Still on defence, the Select Committee has decided to investigate the impact Scottish independence would have on defence matters. Scotland has proud historic and current links with our armed forces. At a time when our British defence budget is facing worrying cuts the very thought of Scotland having to go it alone with our own defence forces is terrifying. The impact on Scottish jobs would be devastating. A British Government would never build ships in a foreign yard but that’s what would have to happen for Scotland’s shipyards to get any future defence contracts. Just imagine what that would mean for thousands of jobs including highly skilled apprenticeships.
‘Your Girvan, your Vision’
Councillor John McDowall and I attended the recent launch of ‘Your Girvan, Your Vision’ Last weekend people were invited to get involved in a programme of events to talk about the future regeneration of Girvan. This is intended to complement the development of the new multi-faceted facility. Councillor McDowall and I will be keeping a close watch on developments to make sure that this actually ends up delivering on the ground for Girvan. People have been promised great things before and been sadly let down.
Sandra Osborne MP
Conference Call
Labour Leader Ed Miliband used his speech at the Scottish Labour Conference in Dundee to call for an economy that works not just for the few at the top but for all working people. He attacked Alex Salmond for being obsessed with borders and breaking up Britain and called for a bigger vision than that. For all Salmond’s talk of Scotland as a ‘progressive beacon’ and comparing Scotland to Scandinavia, his big idea seems to be to give Scotland a Corporation Tax of only 12% like Ireland. The truth is that a small business struggling to get by in Maybole has the same concerns as a small business struggling to get by in Manchester; and a pensioner struggling to keep warm in Gateshead is no different from a pensioner struggling to keep warm in Girvan.
Johann’s Values on Show
New Leader of Scottish Labour, Johann Lamont, spelled out her values and her vision for a Scotland based on Social Justice in her first Conference speech as Leader. I am pleased she has chosen to lead Labour’s Commission on the future of Devolution. This will consider all aspects of devolution – what will benefit Scotland most in terms of powers for the Scottish Parliament and for Local Government. A clear No in the Independence Referendum will open the way to improving devolution for Scotland within the UK.
She also said Scotland, under an SNP government, had seen jobless rates rise to nudge 250,000 and youth unemployment "out of control". And she criticised Scottish ministers for allowing £790m of work on the new Forth road bridge to go to China, Poland and Spain, with only £20m of contracts for home-grown firms.
Visiting Troops in Falklands
By the time you read this, I will be in the Falkland Islands with other members of the Defence Select Committee. The visit which has been planned since last year comes at a time of rising tensions with Argentina over the islands' future. However, it is no different really from the visits we make to other places where British troops serve such as Portsmouth or Colchester – only that the logistics of the visit are more complex. There is a garrison of over a thousand troops there as well as the crews of RAF aircraft stationed there. We will be visiting our troops, talking to local community leaders and assessing the current situation.
I name this ship ...
Still on defence, the Select Committee has decided to investigate the impact Scottish independence would have on defence matters. Scotland has proud historic and current links with our armed forces. At a time when our British defence budget is facing worrying cuts the very thought of Scotland having to go it alone with our own defence forces is terrifying. The impact on Scottish jobs would be devastating. A British Government would never build ships in a foreign yard but that’s what would have to happen for Scotland’s shipyards to get any future defence contracts. Just imagine what that would mean for thousands of jobs including highly skilled apprenticeships.
‘Your Girvan, your Vision’
Councillor John McDowall and I attended the recent launch of ‘Your Girvan, Your Vision’ Last weekend people were invited to get involved in a programme of events to talk about the future regeneration of Girvan. This is intended to complement the development of the new multi-faceted facility. Councillor McDowall and I will be keeping a close watch on developments to make sure that this actually ends up delivering on the ground for Girvan. People have been promised great things before and been sadly let down.
Sandra Osborne MP