A Week in Parliament

SQA/Awards 

Education in Scotland in terms of elected responsibilities lies with MSPs and local councillors. My office too has been contacted by the concerns arising from some of the downgrading of teacher’s predictions for pupil qualifications. Congratulations to those who got the results they needed and for those who didn’t, submit an appeal if you and your teacher think you have been unfairly downgraded.  

There is a well-known “attainment gap” issue whereby pupils from less affluent areas perform less well in general terms than those from more affluent areas. This is why more pupils from less affluent areas were downgraded. Is this fair? It doesn’t feel so, but otherwise there was going to be a 20% improvement in results from those schools. What would opposition politicians say with a 20% jump in one year? They would call it a fix. A pre 2021 election gimmick. Our education system and the assessment process should be challenged for the right reasons, not politics. It will be of no surprise that the same process has been undertaken in Wales (Labour Government) and England (Tory Government), with England’s downgrading at an astonishing 40%.  

The issues here appear to have been recognised by the education secretary John Swinney. He has rightly recognised that pupils’ grades should reflect what they have done. It would have been better if that announcement came quicker once the extent of the downgrading was made public. I also believe the SQA needs to be less secretive and more transparent.  

I have concerns for affected East Ayrshire pupils. A council briefing does not make good reading.  There are concerns that too many pupils got no awards in subjects the teachers predicted a “C” pass. Some schools have been much worse affected than others. There is a flip side that some pupils got higher awards than what was predicted so these things need considered in the round. Some politicians don’t realise they are now demanding these pupils get downgraded. 

Despite the downgrading appearing to affect the less well off the most, there was still a narrowing of the attainment gap. One of my reflections is that the issue with the historical attainment gap proves some schools are able to be more “exam focussed”. Many of those students are also helped better in the home and are encouraged to prepare properly for the exams. This is an issue if the focus switches too much to just getting results in exams. At some point this needs reviewed, and this should follow on from curriculum for excellence – reward pupils for all year hard work.   

If we manage to move away from an exam-based system to continuous assessment, then we also need to trust the teachers. Many of those teachers who currently feel their judgement has not been accepted by the SQA. So, thanks too, to teachers for their general efforts and additional work put in due to Covid-19. Any reviews into the SQA process grading and changes made have to achieve outcomes that stand up to scrutiny, transparency and gain the confidence of both teachers and pupils.  

A Week in Parliament

Lords Appointees

One of the Tory mantras false assertions for Brexit is to get away from unelected bureaucrats. Yet they have no problem with another 36 appointments unelected bureaucrats to the House of Lords. Stand out nominations is Boris Johnson’s brother and six other former Tory MPs who never have to worry about elections again. There is Ruth Davidson, former leader of the Scottish Tories. Someone standing down as an MSP to spend more time with her family. So either she doesn’t plan to spend more time with her family and is content to travel up and down to London, or she will be a typical part-time Lord. There are honours given to other Tory activists – what qualifies them to be part of the law-making process? In the same vein, why does Theresa May’s husband qualify to be a member of the House of Lords? Nigel Dodds of the DUP was rejected by the voters in his constituency and has been elevated to the Lords. Ian Botham?! Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn’s principled stance on the Lords continues as he complains about people he nominated getting rejected. Still, five former Labour MPs have also been elected to the Lords. It really is a corrupt system of cronyism and an affront to democracy.

Cruachan Hydro Dam

As part of my Energy and Climate Change Spokesperson role, I travelled to Cruachan Dam near Oban to see and discuss how pumped hydro storage works for electricity generation. It was a fascinating visit. Firstly viewing the dam up Ben Cruachan was stunning but also seeing the engineering that went into carving out the mountain to house the turbines/generators that are powered by the water cascading 400m down the mountain from the reservoir. The reservoir is refilled by water being pumped back up the hill – this is done when there is spare electricity in the national grid that otherwise would go to waste. So it is a really efficient way of creating electricity. Drax, who own the site, have plans to expand the site and create a second-generation station. As we target climate change this should be a “no brainer” for the UK Government to agree to. However, as the Tory Government is still obsessed with nuclear energy then this will require a lot of work to get them to agree to a sensible renewable energy project.

Scottish Tory Leadership

Jackson Carlaw has been pushed out the door of the Scottish Tory Leadership in a clearly orchestrated move to lever in Douglas Ross. There is no doubt that the Tories are rattled by the high levels of support for independence. Don’t forget the UK Government uses our taxpayers' money to carry out private polling so they must be seeing this in their private polling. Ross is a good performer in the chamber – talks well without notes and is very combative. I have noticed though he doesn’t let facts get in the way of what is saying but delivers so confidently it all sounds true. Tailor-made for leader then!

A Week In Parliament

The Visit

Boris Johnson has visited Scotland. We are so privileged! Of course, as Prime Minister of the UK, he is entitled to visit. The key questions are why and what did he achieve? There is no doubt it is political because the opinion polls for a few months are showing support for independence at 54%. His choice of destination was Orkney. Given the island communities are still sensitive about the threat of Covid-19, choosing Orkney was irresponsible for a drop-in, knowing the media circus that will follow.

To be fair to Boris Johnson – “Minister for the Union” – he has long had an interest in Scotland. Unfortunately, his interest has been a disparaging one. In 2005, when explaining why Gordon Brown should not be Prime Minister he stated: “…but mainly because he is a Scot…”In the Daily Telegraph in 2001, he wrote that “There will come a time when the Scots will discover that personal care for the elderly is too expensive. And they will come, cap in hand to Uncle Sugar in London. And when they do, I propose that we tell them to hop it”.

In 2004, as editor of the Spectator, he published a poem which called the Scots “a verminous race” that should be “exterminated”.

In 2012, when it was being agreed a referendum would be held for Scottish Independence, Johnson stated that “A pound spent in Croydon is of far more value to the country than a pound spent in Strathclyde”. So, with such a track record, are we really to believe that this man values Scotland within the Union?

Covid-19

As restrictions start to ease, this brings relief to many, especially from a business perspective. I am also aware that those still not allowed to operate become more frustrated. A comparison can always be made to say, “well if pubs are open why cannot “x” be open too?” However, if every business and activity was allowed to open with special Covid-19 measures in place, it would still mean we would effectively be going about our normal activities. It will make any outbreaks and the track and trace required more difficult. It increases the risks of an outbreak. The outbreak within the call centre in Lanarkshire is a good example. If the workers there who were infected were also going to gymnasiums, theatres, nightclubs and allowed to mix freely with whoever they wanted, then the outbreak would not have been so easy to control. I have just checked a rolling seven-day period where Scotland has not had a single confirmed Covid-19 death. England has had close to 500 deaths over the same seven days. So, the Scottish Government must be doing something right.

However, I do think those businesses forced to close for longer periods really do need extra financial support. Many have had zero support since lockdown commenced which is a scandal. It is another gap that the UK Government have failed to address. Let’s hope those businesses survive. I have written to the Chancellor on this matter for urgent support.

A Week in Parliament

Ayrshire Cancer Support

Another brave person I was friends with eventually lost her battle with cancer. Johanna Collins fought it for ten years. Kept fighting to the end and while doing so also managed to do fundraising for Ayrshire Cancer having organised many balls and social events over the years. This is testament to the work that Ayrshire Cancer Support provides: the driving services provided by volunteers, as well as vital health and counselling services.

There is no doubt that one of the most emotional impacts of Covid-19 has been when people have funerals with limited numbers. I am glad that restrictions are starting to be eased as it really is stressful for people to limit numbers and also not receive the emotional comfort in a group setting, they might otherwise have. That said, the number of people who turn out on the streets to say goodbye and pay respects is at least very fitting and leaves a mark. Even with her death, Jo is raising money with a “Just Giving” fundraising page for Ayrshire Cancer Support. A fitting tribute for her and to a fantastic organisation.

EU vaccine programme

It is universally agreed that only a vaccine can eradicate Covid-19. Therefore, it makes sense for full international co-operation. Why therefore is the UK not collaborating with the EU on their vaccine programme? The answer can only be that they prioritise finding a “British vaccine” over working with the EU. That seems to me that their Brexit obsession is yet again more important than our health.

Intelligence Security Committee

This vital committee has been stalled for months in being set up. Now we know why – stories have emerged that the Tories are trying to stuff it with Tory stooges who will vote for Chris Grayling rather than having a truly independent vote with members. Grayling is, of course, the man who awarded the ferry contract to a company with no ferries or money; allowed Virgin Stagecoach to walk away from the East Coast rail franchise owing taxpayers £2bn and wrecked the prison and probation services in England. Just the man to hold the government and security services to account!

Food Standards Commission

Many constituents contacted me concerned about future food imports requesting a Food Standards Commission be set up. I lodged a petition in the House of Commons on this subject. I thought a concession was achieved when the Tory Government agreed to set up a Trade and Agriculture Commission. However, their latest appointment says it all - Shanker Singham – the former advisor to a Tory minister, and a hard Brexiteer. Last month, he wrote on 'ConservativeHome' that maintaining our current high animal welfare standards would make the UK a ‘pariah state.’ Just the man to have input into trade deals. They are shameless.  

Summer Financial Update from Chancellor

Absolutely nothing for Scotland. [£20m to be exact]. That is what Scotland really means to this Government. To recover from the Covid-19 recession, Scotland needs the financial levers to invest in infrastructure.

A Week in Parliament

 Local Lockdowns

Leicester has become the first part of the UK to do its own local shutdown in a bid to control a spike in the number of cases of coronavirus - hopefully it works for the city. There are a number of other English councils looking to do likewise. After the mass opening of pubs and other service sectors such as hairdressers then there must be risks of bigger spikes around England. Some of the photographs of crowds gathering at pubs vindicate these fears. Another business issue is that if there are further lockdown restrictions the UK Government support schemes are ending so people could literally be left high and dry.

There is no doubt the virus has been controlled much better in Scotland. This is undisputable with the small number of daily increases, sometimes as little as five new cases across the whole of Scotland. It is testament to the majority of our population who have followed the guidance for lockdown, social distancing and other precautions such as hand washing and facemasks. I would urge people to continue in this vein. Like everyone else I am looking forward to a normality of pubs and restaurants opening. However, there is a reward for patience and the last thing required would be the return of widescale lockdowns.

Border Control

While no-one has questioned the need for Leicester to have its own lockdown policies, there has been a predictable reaction to Nicola Sturgeon saying some form of quarantine type measures may be required for people traveling to Scotland from England. It is unlikely that this would ever happen, but there is a reality that if England continues to suffer spikes and increases in the virus then we should not have a free for all scenario of people travelling to Scotland if coming from a high-risk area. For everyone’s sake, hopefully the virus remains under control in the rest of the UK then we don’t have to worry about such actions.

Independence Support

An opinion poll commissioned by the Sunday Times has shown support for Scottish Independence remaining at 54%. It makes the Labour party’s position to remain against another referendum unfathomable. Indeed, Ian Murray has argued that if the SNP were to win another majority at Holyrood and Labour came to power at Westminster, still opposing another referendum, then the General Election vote would trump the Holyrood vote. This he says would mandate for Labour to block a referendum. In all the rhetoric, it is about “stopping the SNP”. Why can’t they see it is about allowing the people a democratic say?

At times of crisis, people usually don’t want change, so it could be argued that an increased support for independence is a little surprising. I suspect this shows that people have been impressed by Nicola Sturgeon’s performance during the pandemic compared to Boris Johnson’s failure to get to grips with it. As Brexit looms ever closer and a possible No deal crashout is forced upon us, I think more people will see that independence is the best way for Scotland to control its future.

A Week in Parliament

Glasgow Incident

The incident at the Park Inn hotel in Glasgow was a tragedy. We are lucky there wasn’t more loss of life. The police did a fantastic job, to be on the scene so quickly and deal with the suspect. It is another reminder of the bravery of the police, illustrated by Constable David Whyte, running towards the armed suspect to grapple with him, getting stabbed in the process. I wish him a speedy recovery.

A depressing spin off aspect is politicians of the far right using this incident to stoke up tensions about “illegal immigrants”. They were asylum seekers, which under international law is a recognised process for people to flee persecution and claim protection in another country.

It also brings into sharp focus into how these asylum seekers have been treated – they were living in temporary accommodation, but for some reason, Mears Group decided to move them into hotel accommodation at the start of the lockdown. This means for months they have been stuck in hotel rooms, and with no wider support network such as churches due to the lockdown then it must be a hard way to live. That said, nothing makes an excuse for someone to run amok with a knife stabbing random innocent people. Two hotel workers were also stabbed – that’s two workers effectively helping look after the asylum seekers stabbed while going about their daily business. It is unfathomable to me, but there does need to be a review of the way asylum seekers are housed; what mental health support services there are and importantly risk assessments of the likelihood of violence. My colleague, Chris Stephens MP had raised a number of concerns with the Home Office but as usual, they were deaf to what he was saying.

Robert Jenrick

Incredibly the Secretary of State , Jenrick, who had to quash is own unlawful planning decision is still in place – despite it being confirmed he sat next to the developer at a Tory fundraising dinner; saw a promotional video of the development and that the developer texted him to stress the importance of a decision that would save him £45m. There is also something ironic that the developer “only” donated £12k to the Tory Party. You would have thought saving £45m would have made him more generous! It is a disgraceful state of affairs.

Covid-19 Update

It is clear we are moving in the right direction regards Covid-19. However, it means we still need to stick to the advice. Daily cases in Scotland are now less than 30, and sometimes much lower, which means the test trace and contact process can be enacted. Yet, when you hear the opposition in Scotland, they refuse to acknowledge this. Yet in England, they have a failed system that still isn’t operating. When we do a lessons learned review, I hope the same politicians acknowledge where the UK Government failed and in Scotland we did our best to manage within the framework of powers available to the Scottish Government.

A Week in Parliament

Department of International Development

When we have a global pandemic international aid and co-operation is vital. We need to remember that as well as helping the poorest in the world, aid can help reduce the risks of terrorism brewing from malign influences over desperate people. And with pandemics, helping curb this keeps us other countries safer. So what is Johnson’s response? To get rid of the Department for International Aid. It is quite callous at this time of need.

Paintjob

Recession? Apparently not, when Johnson can find £900,000 to make sure a grey RAF plane he uses is repainted red white and blue.

Trace App

Another Tory UK Government botch job has been that they have had to abandon the “world leading” tracing app they were developing. This was so that people who had been in contact with someone who contracts Covid-19 could be contacted and tested. The Scottish Tories had insisted that Nicola Sturgeon used the UK app. Turns out it is a good job we didn’t! Scotland is also using more public health workers to do the tracing whereas the UK Tories are farming these matters out to call centre companies for them to make more money. The difference in leadership is stark.

 Alex Dyer

In amongst the ongoing debate about racism it has long been highlighted that there are a dearth of football managers in the UK from Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. Scotland is no different. Billy Bowie and the rest of the KFC board should be commended for confirming the appointment of Alex Dyer who is now is only BAME manager in Scotland. However, Dyer has gotten this job on merit not anything to do with the colour of his skin. He himself has said this but highlighted that opportunities don’t come along that often for managers and coaches of his race. The new gaffer has my backing and it hopefully won’t be too long before we are back at Rugby Park cheering them on.

As a footnote, I recall in the 1980s Killie “breaking the mould” with a player of Pakistani descent – Rashid Sarwar. That so, few Scottish Asians have followed suit in professional football shows there is much to be done.

 Marcus Rashford

One of the biggest stories has been the excellent work of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, who forced a UK Government U-turn on free school meals. His open letter to MPs has meant that around 1.3m children in England will get free meals out with term time which will take some pressure off families during this difficult time. This means that England will follow the lead of the Scottish and Welsh devolved governments who have already committed to feeding school kids throughout the summer holidays. Ii is great to see a footballer use his audience and role in society to influence government policy for the better. It also shows how shallow the Tory Government is when high profile publicity forced a U-turn. Let’s hope there are repeats from other stars that shame the Government into doing the right thing!

A Week in Parliament

Tory Sleaze

News emerged over the behaviour of Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing and Local Communities. A £1bn development had been turned down by a local council. It was called in for a decision by the UK Government – his planning inspectors advised it should be turned down. Yet, the day before a clause kicked in that would have cost the developer £40m towards critical infrastructure the Secretary of State signed off approval for the planning application. It then transpires that by “sheer coincidence” the development owner had been at a Tory fundraising dinner that Jenrick was at and the developer subsequently donated money to the Tories.

Only when Tower Hamlets council started court proceedings over the sequence of events did Jenrick admit the decision was unlawful and did show “apparent bias”. What are the consequences for the Secretary after all this? Nothing. In an urgent question in parliament the UK Government were defending his actions. Incredible. This really is a shameless government of low talent, low standards and it is shameful they have been foisted upon Scotland. Yet again, it is one rule for them and one for us.

Food Standards

My office has been inundated with people expressing concerns about the prospect of a trade deal with the United States. Others have been lobbying for a food standards commission to be set up in order to ensure the highest standards are maintained. One fear is imports of chlorinated chicken.  These chickens are not reared with proper welfare standards, with the chlorine used to kill any bacteria and make it safe to eat. It will be cheaper, so will also undercut all the UK chicken producers. In parliament, the cabinet minister, Penny Mordaunt stated that we should trust the consumers as they do not want such products. Isn’t this a clear warning that the Tories will sign any kind of trade deal?

Price Gouging

One disappointing behaviour during the pandemic has been people profiteering by hiking up prices due to shortages and demand, blatantly ripping people off. A report by Which? has confirmed that this is another area the UK lags behind many other developed countries in. There is insufficient legislation and enforcement powers to tackle such actions. In Greece, the Development Ministry issued fines totalling €113,500 between 24 and 26 March for profiteering. This shows how it should be done and yet again this illustrates that the UK Government lets us down.

Brexit

The UK Government have refused to listen to reason and extend the transition period for keeping the same rules and regulations as the EU. They are also risking a no deal crash out once more. However, they are so unprepared for this that they have confirmed thy will relax checks for about 6 months. This means Animal products may not immediately need health certificates; agricultural goods won’t need to arrive through border inspection posts. So it really could be a smugglers free for all for stuff coming into the UK. once again this proves what they say and what they do are completely different.

A Week in Parliament

Paddy Lennon

Any death is always a sad occasion. With Covid-19, more families than normal are having to deal with the loss of a loved one. Every so often, a death occurs which seems more poignant. Into this bracket would be the death of Paddy Lennon from Galston. When someone has a big personality and a big heart you always imagine they will come through adversity. Sadly, this wasn’t the case with Paddy who died a week after being involved in a car accident. He was hugely popular and had been a coach at Galston boys and girls football club for some 15-years. He had also been President of the club for five-years. Therefore, he had touched a lot of people having done coaching for so long. This applies to all volunteer coaches, but they really can be inspirational; teaching skills and also life values to children and youths. Paddy did all this, helped supervise and take teams on trips down south, helped out with the massive Galston football tournament each year and more. He was a huge Killie fan as well, and that is how I got to know Paddy when he started travelling on the supporters bus I used to organise. This is where Paddy really excelled in singing, boisterous behaviour and enjoying whatever came our way as Killie fans. The supporters’ bus and Rugby Park itself will be forever quieter with the passing of Paddy. It is at these times that social media really can be a blessing as so many people paid tribute to Paddy from the youth football side of things and many Killie fans, with many funny and friendly photos provided. It was a privilege to have known Paddy and my thoughts go the family he has left behind, Louise, Kyle and Chloe.

Mogg Conga

Westminster descended into complete farce with the Tory Government and Jacob Rees-Mogg in particular determined to get rid of remote voting. With the system working well why do this? it can only be because it was working so well, that they feared the longer it stayed in place the more likely MPs would want it to continue. It is completely absurd, and with Public Health England confirming the voting lobby system was not safe, they devised another ploy which involved social distancing queuing. This resulted in a queue 1km long and the set up was akin to queuing at Alton Towers. The snake like queue eventually being dubbed the Mogg Conga. It is incredible that these people are so detached from reality that they think precious tradition trumps safety of staff who have to deal with these set ups. They have argued that the physical Parliament needed brought back as soon as possible so there could be more debate time and scrutiny of the Government. That theory flounders when two votes take nearly two hours to process. If Westminster is not willing to modernise during a pandemic, then it will never do so. It really is so difficult to respect the so called “Mother of all Parliaments.”

A Week in Parliament

As time progresses, more analysis is undertaken of the Covid-19 outbreak and what steps could have been taken to manage it better. This is the best way to learn how best to handle any future pandemics. However, it is also too early to draw any definitive conclusions. Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon keeps getting told to put constitutional matters on hold, but unionist politicians see Covid-19 as a way of attacking her and in their minds undermining the case for independence.

Take for example Labour’s new Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray. He used his very first question at the dispatch box to attack the Scottish Government. He also made a couple of false accusations based around the international Nike conference that was held in Edinburgh. It is clear there was a move to pin much of the cause of the pandemic within Scotland and the UK on this conference because some people later tested positive. However, it transpires that contact tracing was done on the cases which tested positive. Therefore, people deemed to have spent sufficient time with infected persons were contacted and asked to self-isolate. The correct process.

Ian Murray also referred to a BBC report that suggests if Scotland went into lockdown two weeks earlier that 2000 deaths could be prevented. That may be true. What Ian Murray and other Scottish politicians peddling these stories fail to highlight is that Scotland cannot do its own lockdown strategy itself. It is even more bizarre when just a few weeks back, the Scottish Labour Leader, Richard Leonard was arguing Scotland shouldn’t be different from the rest of the UK when coming out of lockdown! He argued that you cannot have different restrictions in North Berwick from Berwick.

There are many considerations for Scotland to do its own lockdown ahead of the rest of the UK. Take border control at airports and ferry ports. This is controlled by the UK Government. Scotland cannot implement its own travel restrictions and testing regime as New Zealand did, effectively shutting off any international travel. We do not control cross border traffic with England and so a lockdown in Scotland alone would be difficult to implement on a legal basis. Scotland does not have the borrowing powers to create its own furlough or business support scheme. Employment law and the powers to legally instruct closures of businesses rests at Westminster. These factors illustrates Scotland couldn’t implement its own individual solution the way independent countries can. It always has to be within the context of a UK solution.

If you truly believe that Scotland is always better within the UK than being an independent country then these are parameters you accept. However, I find it annoying that politicians who talk up the benefits of remaining within the UK always find ways to argue what the Scottish Government should be doing, but actually cannot because they don’t have the powers to do so. Maybe I should be grateful for them showing the limitations Scotland has in policy formulation and implementation?