A Week in Parliament

Remembrance Day 

Yet another Covid affected event is Remembrance Day. The main one in Kilmarnock is effectively cancelled with the “ceremony” limited to the Provost and Lord Lieutenant laying wreaths to tie in with the two minutes silence. It is such a shame for the veterans that the usual larger scale event cannot be held. However, safety has to come first in these difficult times. I will lay a wreath at the Cenotaph later, in accordance with social distance and other health guidance practices as a mark of respect.  

Fireworks 

This is also the time of year when constituents contact me about the nuisance of fireworks being let off every night in and around Bonfire Night. Many want the usage restricted only to organised events or sales strictly limited in timescales or prohibited to the general public. This is a matter for Westminster (although the Scottish Government are trying to find their own workarounds). It is a serious matter raised annually and a Westminster petition has seen 700 constituents sign it looking for a ban on general public sale. This ranks Kilmarnock and Loudoun as 76th out of 650 constituencies so in relative terms it clearly is a nuisance for many. However, given Jacob Rees Mogg’s response in parliament was that some MPs are calling for fireworks to be banned because “socialists always want to ban everything and have no fun”. So, if your pet is scared and you want a sales ban to the public, the Tory Government think you are a mad, fun-hating socialist. Yet, they expect everyone to respect Westminster as an institution? 

Opinion Polls 

The 11th opinion poll in a row has now shown a lead for Scottish Independence. These don’t mean that this confirms what a future referendum result will be. However, it does show many people are now minded to think about it. Interestingly, social attitude polls always show that a huge majority of Scots think that decisions for the people of Scotland are best placed to be taken in Edinburgh rather than London. Yet, many of those who think that way, have favoured the Union, which is slightly contradictory. Maybe now, especially with covid-19, people realise that the only way we really can make the best decisions and take the most proactive actions at the right time is for Scotland to be a normal independent country. Just like all those other countries in the world.  

Eat Out to Help Out 

It turns out that the scheme promoted by the Chancellor is estimated to have contributed nearly 20% of the new cases of the second spike. Hindsight is wonderful - it is easy to say what he did was a mistake. At the time I welcomed the initiative, as I know how much the hospitality industry had suffered. It is clear though it should have been better targeted and done in such a way that it didn’t have people scrambling to make the most of a time limited offer. I know I called for better long-term support at the time that applies more than ever now.