4th October 2021: A Week in Parliament

Kilmarnock FC Memorial Garden

It was great to see the new memorial garden at Rugby Park being completed and now dedicated. It commemorates the eight Kilmarnock FC players who lost their lives in the two World Wars. However, just as importantly and perhaps even more so, it serves as a place of reflection and an act of remembrance for anyone associated with the club – employee or fan. I am sure it will be a much-loved part of the ground over the years. Well done to the club, the grant funders and in particular Ray Montgomery who has worked on the project for years.

Universal Credit Cut and Cost of Living Crisis

Last week I called for the UK Government to provide a package of support for households who are struggling due to rising energy bills and inflation pushing the price of shopping up as well. To that end, I should welcome the £500m additional support announced by the UK Government. However, the reality is that it is too little – the universal credit cut will take £6bn out of the system in one year alone. It doesn’t take a mathematical genius to work out that a one-off £500m package will not go far.

While the Tories and bizarrely, Labour welcomed this money at Holyrood, once it is broken down, Scotland only gets £41m of this money. Yet 500,000 families are set to lose £20 per week. The £41m equates to £80 per family, who are ultimately losing £1040 per year. Sadly then, there is not much to welcome in the announcement once the sums are done, and soon many families will be left struggling. I really fear the impact of these cuts to universal credit.

Broken Brexit Britain

Polling by YouGov has revealed around three-quarters of Scots think Brexit has gone 'badly', compared to just 12% who think it has gone 'well'. It is no surprise. We have the HGV driver shortage continuing to cause petrol supply issues. A report for the Fishermen’s Federation [who supported Brexit] shows that the Brexit deal will cost the fishing industry £300m. Now the vet shortage is causing problems for the checks and certifications required for the slaughtering of animals. Along with a shortage of butchers, there is now talk of animals simply being killed and dumped as waste. How abhorrent is this? When I was on the DEFRA Select committee we warned of vet shortages but of course, the Government simply ignored our calls. We still have supply issues with the building trade and now it has just been confirmed that supply chain issues have led to a seven-month low in manufacturing output. I wish I could provide more upbeat information, but this is the reality at the moment. Meanwhile, the EU has no supply issues.

Tory Donor, New Lordship

Malcolm Offord has donated £150,000 to the Tories and campaigned against independence. That seems to be enough to allow him to be made a life peer and immediately made a member of the UK Government. Elsewhere this would be thought of as corruption, but somehow this is acceptable for many in Britain.