20th March 2023: A Week in Parliament

High Speed 2

Last week I raised the never-ending issue of HS2 in the House. The Secretary of State for Transport, Huw Merriman, wrongly stated that Euston was always going to follow Old Oak Common. However, a previous promise from the UK Government was that on day one of HS2’s operation, high-speed trains would run from Central London to Scotland. We now know that it is not going to be day one, it certainly is not going to be day 100 and it is not looking like it could be day 1,000 either, so when will HS2 trains run from Central London to Scotland? Of course, Merriman could not answer this and gave no indication that high-speed trains would run to Scotland. In addition to this, because of the type of trains they have purchased, when the high-speed capable trains run on the existing west coast mainline they are slower than the existing tilting trains. This means it is alleged that the Glasgow – Crewe journey time will be slower than it is now on Avanti trains! Ludicrous and another failure of this incompetent Tory Government.

Vote for New SNP Leader

I have now cast my vote for the new SNP Leader, and effectively new First Minister. I have voted for Humza Yousaf. I believe he is the best-placed candidate to offer the most inclusive approach to Government. With further resignations from the executive of the party itself, it is fair to say the handover period has not been as smooth as I would have liked!

Constituent Cases

I raised two constituent cases in parliament last week. As written previously, this is an important part of my job and something I like to try and do as often as I can. Of course, the reason I raise these matters is usually as a result of constituents having their cases mishandled by ministerial departments and at the end of their tether. Having the chance to bring these issues up directly with Ministers can lead to them being escalated and looked at as a matter of urgency. Fingers crossed positive resolutions can come as a result of this.  

Courtyard Bakery

On Friday, it was great to pop into the new Courtyard Bakery in the town. The premise is just a few doors down from the Courtyard Cafe which has been operating for nearly two years. The store has a great range of loaves and pastries, resulting in me purchasing some cakes for the office and a delicious rhubarb tart for my dad – it’s fair to say they went down a treat! It’s welcome to see a shop of the ilk open in the heart of the town. From the time I was in, it was certainly busy and I hope it continues to thrive as word gets out. I’d like to say a massive thanks to Jim at the counter for supplying the goods, and I encourage constituents to drop in and give it a try – you won’t regret it.