1st November 2021: A Week in Parliament

£7bn Pensions Robbery

I am sure people tune out when they hear the phrases “triple lock” and “double lock” in relation to pensions. However, the triple lock was important to protect the value of pensions in real terms. When we have high inflation, at the time the Tories have broken their promise on triple lock, then pensioners are not getting the rise they are supposed to. By removing the triple lock, it will cost pensioners £2600 over five years, or £520 per year. If you are a pensioner and reading this, then the budget is about to cost you £10 per week. The budget redbook shows this measure will save the Treasury approximately £7bn over the remaining term of the UK parliament.

Despite pensions being a big promise in 2014 as part of the Better Together campaign, since then, we have had the WASPI women scandal; pension age raised to 66 for everyone and to rise to 67, confirmation that the UK pension is one of the worst in the developed world compared to average earnings and now this £7bn robbery. Apart from all those broken promises, the worst aspect is that pensioners cannot afford to be losing £10 per week when there is a cost of living crisis. And this is £7bn that is taken out of circulation that would most likely be spent on local businesses thereby further damaging our high streets in towns and villages

Ruby Race

I was delighted to be invited along to the Ruby Young Monarch Financial Services Halloween Running Festival. First up was the one-mile fun run, mainly aimed at children and I had the joy of starting the race. It was great to see the effort of the kids giving how poor the weather had been. Next up was the 5k race. My excuse for not running was the fact I have a really bad cough and cold. However, seeing a winning time of just shy of 15minutes made me glad not to have been running! Again, well done to all who took part and the organisers. This was the 30th anniversary of the race, being run in memory of Ruby Young, a former member of the Harriers. That’s over £40k now raised for charity with Ayrshire Cancer Support benefiting this year. So well done on the fundraising as well as keeping Ruby’s memory alive.

Tony Bone Legal

I popped along to Tony Bone Legal to see a solicitor’s office that continues to expand, Business expansion is clearly a good thing employment wise. However, as Tony Bone specialises in family law and support, the increased growth also, unfortunately, reflects an increasing demand on services often stemming from domestic abuse. It is hoped a family law centre can be created which would allow a one-stop shop to many services for those in need of support. I hope this comes to fruition. Remember, if you are suffering domestic abuse, including coercive control, please contact an agency or even my office for signposting and support.

25th October 2021: A Week in Parliament

Private Members Bill

I will be presenting a private members bill to Parliament. The purpose of my bill is to make the UK Government force a review of the electricity grid charging framework and also end locational charges. The reason for me doing this is that at the moment Scotland faces the highest grid charges in the whole of Europe. It is outrageous and makes Scottish offshore windfarms 20% more expensive than English ones. The UK Government always argue it is a matter for Ofgem, but it is the UK Government that sets the rules for Ofgem. So, it is ridiculous they do not take responsibility. I know I will not be able to get the bill through parliament given it will go into a private members bill queue and logjam. However, anything that can be done to bring pressure for change is good.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is deemed by the Committee on Climate Change and the International Energy Association to be pivotal in cutting carbon emissions. The most advanced project in the UK is the Scottish Cluster. If progressed it will store the carbon emissions from the two biggest polluters in Scotland – Peterhead Power Station and the Ineos facilities at Grangemouth. It will create a hydrogen production facility at St Fergus allowing it to be piped elsewhere in the UK. It also allows for upgrades at Peterhead harbour so that carbon dioxide can be transported from elsewhere in the UK for storage. Logically then this is one of the clusters that the UK Government should be progressing then. Instead, they have prioritised two projects in England – Hynet in the North West of England and the East Coast Cluster covering Teesside and Humber. These naked political decisions show this Tory Government do not care about Scotland. The Scottish Tories are actually happy that the Scottish Cluster is classed as a “reserve” which is pathetic.

European Marine Energy Centre

I was lucky to visit the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. I was also supposed to be travelling offshore to see the Orbital O2 tidal wave power generator but the sea was too rough to allow that to happen. However, it was still great to engage and see and hear about how Scotland is literally leading the world in wave and tidal energy generation. Now at this stage, they have been able to be demonstrated as being able to reliably generate energy and are connected to the power grid at Orkney, they need support to get the next stage of scaling up. The Orbital O2 has 80% UK content and was the first vessel launched from Dundee in 40 years and could create thousands of jobs if backed. Sadly, yet again, the blocker is the UK Government. All they want is some money ringfenced in the forthcoming energy auction which the UK Government have refused. This risks the opportunities of these technologies. Being an opposition MP can be so frustrating. Being Energy Spokesperson can also be frustrating when I see the harm the UK Government is doing to the Scottish energy sector.

18th October 2021: A Week in Parliament

Sir David Amess

It was shocking to hear of the murder of Sir David Amess – stabbed to death while holding a constituent advice surgery. As is the way, all the obituaries say he was a really nice person and dedicated MP. But that was the truth of Sir David. Not someone I could class as a friend, but someone I would always talk to in the passing, and someone who always had a calm demeanour. When he chaired bill committees or Westminster Hall debates, he also showed his sense of humour and ability to get on with MPs of all parties. He was willing to campaign on issues and practically led a lone fight within Tory MPs being against foxhunting. It is testament to his campaigning that so many Tory MPs came round to his (or mainstream views). I hope he rests in peace and condolences to his family. Also, for his staff members who had to witness the attacks.

Parliamentary Safety

In my short time as an MP, that is now two colleagues who have been murdered doing their job, and PC Keith Palmer killed in a terrorist attack on Westminster. The attacks have also been a mix of Islamist terrorists and right-wing terrorists so there is no correlation – other than people becoming radicalised on the internet that is. Additionally, while people may use the internet to obtain the information that reinforces their radicalisation, when they act alone how can we truly protect ourselves? As an MP I need to be accessible to the public. I need to be able to go to public events. In the aftermath of the Sir David Amess murder, there is talk of reviewing MP security. Clearly this needs to be thought about. However, what is the ultimate solution? It is not practical to have security accompany all MPs wherever they go. The cost would be extortionate and I for one would not want police to be at my surgery while they could be protecting the wider public.

Other security advice is that we always have a table between ourselves and a constituent. I do this in my office, and it may buy you precious seconds, but is a 1m gap across a table going to stop a pre meditated terrorist attack. Other advice is having staff members with you. I sometimes do this, but when thinking of attacks, it makes me really uneasy – why should my staff be exposed to potential danger?

Another protection measure is I am supposed to carry a lone worker alarm if I am doing a surgery myself. Being one of those of believe “this could never happen here” then I have to admit to being somewhat lax on this aspect. Again, it couldn’t actually prevent the worst happening. All things being equal then, it seems being cautious and trying to have as many pre bookings is the best way forward. I have been really busy doing “virtual” surgeries – telephone / Zoom / MS Teams but am really keen to get back to physical surgeries and street surgeries. Anyway I will continue to engage the best I can.

11th October 2021: A Week in Parliament

BBC Debate Night

For the first time in my career I took part in a TV panel programme, BBC Scotland’s debate night. It was down in Stranraer and also on the panel were list MSPs, Brian Whittle and Colin Smyth. It was fair to say the locals were very angry about what they see as the condition of the A75 between Stranraer and the M74. I pointed out that the SNP had actually built a by-pass originally promised by a Tory Government in 1989. The Maybole by-pass on the A77, currently being constructed was also promised by the Tories at Westminster in 1989. This is history the Tories like to ignore, and that same day, Boris Johnson announced that they will fund the upgrades. I bet he doesn’t even know the route and will have no idea what is required; what it will cost or how it can be delivered. No doubt this will be as realistic a promise as his bridge!

I enjoyed being on the show overall, but perhaps didn’t always enjoy being on the spot! And in the journey back up the road, I started to remember all the things that I wanted to say which is always frustrating. It also struck me that Brian Whittle claimed he knows “loads” of people on universal credit. I wonder what they say to him about the £20 per week cut, and wonder if they buy his lines about “need to balance the books”. That line is so bogus. It is the same with Johnson claiming the UK will become a place for highly skilled and highly paid wages. If he wants to see higher wages, then the first thing the UK Government should do is increase the minimum wage to the level of the real living wage. This would automatically raise the wages of many on universal credit. And of course, if they are making more money, then their universal credit payments will be reduced. Surely this is the correct way to reduce the cost of universal credit, rather than make cuts to people who are stuck on low wages?

Ban of Sale of Real Fur

I signed a cross-party letter calling for a ban on the sale of real fur in the UK. It seems to me that given the quality of fake fur, there is no need anymore to be killing animals for their hides. I appreciate some people will have expensive fur that they may have bought some time ago, and I wouldn’t expect people to stop wearing them, but just feel the time has come that the sale of real fur is not required.

James Brokenshire

I would like to pay tribute to James Brokenshire MP, who died at the age of just 53, from lung cancer. I cannot pretend to have known him well, but he was always courteous and seemed assiduous and thoughtful as a Minister. He mastered his brief and was hard working. There can be no doubt his talent will be missed.

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.

27th September 2021: A Week in Parliament

Broken Britain

Instead of the Global Britain we have been promised, we have Broken Britain. The fuel shortages associated with the lack of HGV drivers being the latest example. After arguing it has nothing to do with Brexit, at last the UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, is bringing in a visa system to allow 5,000 HGV drivers to be temporarily recruited. However, with an shortfall of 100,000 drivers, then their proposals are ridiculous – it does nothing to plug the gap, and how many EU drivers are going to move to the UK to be kicked back out at Christmas? It can only work if they are given absolute bumper contracts, which has an impact of the cost of transport and instead of undercutting UK driver wages, which the UK Government argues, they will be getting a premium. That said, if we are in the market of supply and demand, then UK HGV drivers here should be getting wage rises.

There can also be no doubt that if the UK Government are bringing in this scheme, then they really are worried about the warnings of empty shelves at Christmas. Over 5 years have they been warned about this and it is still too little, too late.

Ayrshire Growth Deal

Along with other elected representatives, I was given an update on the Ayrshire Growth Deal. It is good to see plans coming to fruition and it was great to hear of up to 4000 jobs being created at Prestwick aerospace cluster. There are good projections of the number of jobs to be created The key issue I try to highlight is making sure we plan for these jobs and have the skills and training plans in place so locals can get maximum opportunity. We can only turn our local economy round and improve lives if we make sure people can access secure well pad jobs.

Covid and Vaccination Passports

Hopefully we are past the worst of the recent massive spike in covid cases. It shows this disease is not going away. As I write however, cases are still very high and East Ayrshire has the second highest rate in Scotland. It means the mantra of “being careful” should not be ignored.

This is also partly the reason that the Scottish Government is brining in covid passports for events and nightclubs with large crowds. Several constituents have contacted me, concerned about impacts on civil liberties. However, given that the passport or certification process will not be used for public services or public transport then the exclusion only applies to a limited number of events. This is where the personal choice comes in, I believe. I attended a festival in England, and the organisers had imposed a “double vaccinated status” as a condition of entry. I was relaxed about this, but maybe that is because I had made the choice to be double vaccinated. So, even without Government intervention this is becoming standard for larger events. Indeed, the events and hospitality industry welcomed the moves by the Scottish Government. They believe it gives them more confidence to plan ahead.

20th September 2021: A Week in Parliament

Rough Justice 

If someone admits to “maladministration, misdirection and misinformation” then that is an acceptance of bad practice. You would also expect that organisation to be in trouble and be punished. Yet, this is what the DWP admitted to with regards of them wrongly giving one of my constituents universal credit (they insisted the constituent was entitled to it and should accept it). However, they state that since discovering they were wrong and the whole issue is their fault, my constituent owes them £15,000 and that they need to collect it. This is extremely concerning for the person involved – it feels like a crippling debt looming over him/her that cannot be escaped from. I wrote to a DWP Minister to highlight this inequity. His heartless argument is that they have a duty to collect on behalf of the public purse. They can bend the rules for friends and cronies no bother, but for someone at the sharp end it is “no”. In the written response the Minister also included the line “ I hope Mr/Mrs X finds this response helpful”! No, it wasn’t helpful at all and I have raised the matter again in the House of Commons and it is another case that I will keep pursuing.  

Universal Credit Cut 

Last year the Tories agreed that universal credit isn’t enough to survive on and increased it by £20 per week. Now they argue it was only ever a temporary uplift and are removing it. So, people struggling to get by, the majority of whom are working, now face losing £1040 per year. Kilmarnock and Loudoun has the 6th highest rate of universal credit in Scotland, so this means we will be the 6th most affected constituency in Scotland. This measure comes when energy bills are soaring, inflation is at its highest in over 10-years, meaning the cost of goods is increasing and those working will be paying 12.5% more in national insurance. It is sadly a perfect storm. With Kilmarnock and Loudoun being so badly affected this also means millions of pounds taken out the local economy in the years to come, having a negative affect on our shops too.  

Armed Forces Personnel Scheme 

A charitable trust runs a scheme called the Armed Forces Personnel Scheme, which allows a select number of MPs sign up for the army/navy/RAF schemes and do visits, activities and courses to find out and learn more about the day to day lives of those who serve in the armed forces. I have signed up for the navy scheme, and have just completed my introductory event. I am looking forward to and equally dreading some of the forthcoming activities!  

Cabinet Reshuffle 

Boris Johnson has replaced some useless talent with more useless talent! I was speaking to an ex-minister and asked if he was waiting on his phone going for a recall, and he candidly told me he wasn’t interested as he thinks it a really poor cabinet, lacking in talent. Who I am to question his judgement on this? 

Post Recess - 13th September 2021: A Week in Parliament

Parliament Recall/Afghanistan

Parliament has now returned but I did also attend the August recall to debate Afghanistan. I was lucky enough to be taken in the debate as over 100 MPs were not called. I also intervened on the Prime Minister to ask him to define “doing whatever it takes” with regards identifying Afghans at risk of death and eligible for return to the UK having worked for the UK. Sadly, he could not answer my question.

Afghanistan is a 20 year foreign policy failure. A blind eye was turned to corruption. A blind eye was turned to Pakistan’s intelligence services supporting the Taliban and too many US contractors made large sums of money at the expense of Afghans. This is why so many Afghans think the Taliban can be no worse. However, they are wrong, and many people will lose their lives and freedoms as the regime tightens their grip. We need a public enquiry to get to the bottom of the decisions made over the years, including the merits of ever going in. 457 British service personnel lost their lives; constituents of mine have served in Afghanistan, and many families are now asking “what was the point”?

Government Incompetence

On Afghanistan, yet again, the UK Government was caught wanting. I have no problems with Ministers going on holiday. They can also keep in touch remotely. However, there is no excuse for the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to go on holiday when he did – especially when the armed forces were not allowed leave at this time. The argument he was keeping in touch has also proven to be a sham – it turns out he even refused to make a phone call. I have submitted written questions asking him to detail all the meetings he chaired; the foreign counterparts he spoke to and the number of times he spoke to the UK ambassador in Afghanistan over these vital days. The non- answers I have received confirm he really did down tools. Absolutely disgraceful.

National Insurance Hike

The Tories have decided the English NHS is in crisis – under their watch no less. Their solution to solve it? Raise National Insurance across the entire UK. This is a disgraceful decision and it means in reality everyone in the UK has to pay more tax to save the English NHS. Ah, but, they say Scotland will get its share of money so therefore it is a way of Westminster giving Scotland more money. It is a joke. It is like your parents taking your wage packet off you and then expecting you to be really grateful when they give you it back when it suits them.

Boris has also stated that Scotland will get more money back than the taxes raised as a “union dividend”. I will be asking a number of questions to see how this can be achieved. Ultimately this is a solution that is not fair and will hit hard working families and cost employers money too. A much fairer solution could be found, but yet again, Westminster imposes their solution on us.

18th July 2021: A Week in Parliament

Covid Update

On the same day, Scotland moves into Level 0, England under the UK Government is lifting all restrictions. Their decision is a farce given they advise wearing masks in public places, yet are removing the laws to make it mandatory. What kind of leadership is this? Throughout June, Scotland had a higher case rate than England. It was as if the Scottish Tories revelled in this, blaming the Scottish Government. Of course, the delta variant arrived here because the UK Government refused to red list India quick enough. In terms of case rates, England is now 75% higher than Scotland. We have been on a downward projection, while at the moment unfortunately England is still on a very steep upwards curve with regards to case rates. The fact the Health Secretary has tested positive despite being double vaccinated shows how fragile a position we are in.

Meanwhile, experts are now warning that the approach in England is a risk to the entire world. This is alarming and 1200 scientists have backed a letter to the medical journal, The Lancet to chime with this opinion. As well as restrictions being lifted, I fear that in England we have still to see the full effects of all the chaotic mixing that happened for the Euro Championship Final. It is the wrong time to lift all restrictions. Given how these people make decisions that directly impact Scotland, this is further proof we need a better system of governance.

Football Racism

I cannot pretend anything other than supporting Italy for the Euro Finals. However, I thought Gareth Southgate has been excellent in the media and how he has conducted himself. Many of the England players are a real credit to themselves and it is a disgrace the racial abuse those that missed penalties suffered. The outpouring of support is welcome, but of course, that display of public support shouldn’t be required. I also welcome that some of the England players have called out the likes of Boris Johnson and the Home Secretary, Priti Patel for giving signals to racists because of them calling “Taking the Knee”, “gesture politics”. It is a fact that Boris Johnson has written plenty of racist articles. His standard defence is they “have been taking out of context”. That is just plain wrong and he never has been fit for office.

Crowds At Rugby Park

Many people have been questioning why Killie are not allowed bigger crowds at Rugby Park given the size of the stadium. The reality is that the level zero rules mean any outdoor event has an automatic upper capacity of 2000. If a club wants a larger crowd and can do so safely with 1m outside social distancing then it is up to that club to make an application to the local authority. I would like to think it therefore possible to have at least all season ticket holders in attendance at the Ayr game. Even better, if case rates continue to fall, we should see more restrictions lifted on August 9th, allowing much larger crowds.

11th July 2021: A Week in Parliament

Recovery Café

I was pleased to get out and visit The Hut, which is operating as a drop-in café by Recovery Enterprises, Scotland. While it is good to see the work being done by volunteers, it was equally alarming to hear how they have had to help people with food during the pandemic. It is a real injustice when people cannot afford to feed their families. Unfortunately, it is a sign of just how unequal our society is. We need the economy to be rebalanced and wealth more fairly distrusted. Worse, the pandemic has increased the wealth gap, and the richest have continued to get richer.

Pension Rates

Analysis from the House of Commons library has shown that pension rates in the UK are the worst in Europe when considered as a percentage of the average working wage. This is outrageous – given we are repeatedly told that one of the biggest benefits of Scotland being part of the United Kingdom is the shared aspect of the UK pensions. Of course, Scotland contributes its fair share anyway, but it is an eye-opener to have it confirmed by research how relatively poor the UK pension actually is. It is little wonder we have pensioners living in poverty. By default, having pension credit as a top-up in itself is an admission that the state pension is inadequate. Additionally, only 60% of those who are eligible actually claim it. So, please, if you think you or a family member is eligible for pension credit, check out the criteria and make a claim. It is bad enough to be possibly struggling financially but even worse if there is assistance there that is not being utilised.

UK Growth

Further analysis from the House of Commons library has shown that for 21 years in a row, the UK has had the lowest growth rate in northwest Europe. The UK is behind all thirteen neighbouring countries, including Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, France and Germany. The analysis, using data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), shows per person the UK is £5,062 less wealthy than the average of all countries in northwest Europe, and £15,739 less wealthy than those independent countries with a population similar or smaller than Scotland. The data also shows that the wealth gap between the UK and our European neighbours has grown worse over the past two decades. It is worrying that the UK economy has been shown to underperform so poorly compared to other European countries for such a consistent period. It also shows that all the talk of new trade deals post-Brexit is only a sticking plaster for this underperformance.