7th February 2022: A Week in Parliament

Johnson Lies Continues

It seems that Johnson cannot help himself. When he gave the statement on the Sue Gray Report update, he told the lie about Starmer failing to prosecute Jimmy Saville. To think, this was when he was supposed to be showing contrition. Outrageous and straight out the Trump playbook. This is also when he was defending himself about the 12 gatherings at Downing Street, including one within his own flat which the police are now investigating. All events, which he denied knowledge of or blamed others. There should be no hiding place for him, yet he is so brazen and intends to see it out.

Money Squandered

It is also outrageous that the UK Government have written off over £4bn of fraudulent claims through the covid grants and loans systems. With schemes set up so quickly there was always a risk of fraud. However, if it were you or I, and the DWP/HMRC were involved for money owed to them, then you can be sure there wouldn’t be such leniency.

There was also £9bn squandered on PPE purchases including equipment being bought out of date. This is incompetence at the highest level. So £13bn squandered during the pandemic and this April sees a National Insurance hike to raise £12bn. So, we really are paying the price for an incompetent government.

Camberlege Report

I took part in a debate about the Camberlege Report. This report was compiled following an enquiry into three health interventions that have caused damage to people – mesh implants and the drugs primodos and sodium valproate. The key recommendation is that a redress/compensation scheme be set up. To date, the UK Government have failed to act on this recommendation. I put it to the Minister that there is no point in setting up an enquiry to then ignore the key recommendations. I have a constituent who has disabilities caused by the effect of the drug sodium valproate. It is only right she gets compensation and I intend to continue to pursue this injustice.

Energy Cost Crisis

Ofgem has announced the new energy cap will increase by £693 to just under £2000. It is unaffordable for many and National Energy Action estimates that there will be 6.5million households in fuel poverty. It is a real concern and a proper crisis. The UK Government is not doing enough either – a £200 rebate on our bills to be paid back at £40 a year is simply spreading the pain. For their council tax rebate scheme in England, Scotland will get £220m. According to the Tories, we should be grateful. The North Sea Oil and Gas Revenues will have contributed £3bn additional monies to the Treasury in two years, yet we are supposed to be grateful for £220m coming our way?

Scotland Rugby

I was lucky enough to be at Murrayfield for the rugby. It was a fantastic victory over England and very enjoyable. I love when sport puts a smile on your face and allows you to eliminate all the negative thoughts about what is going on in the world.

31st January 2022: A Week in Parliament

Partygate

Fed up with the ongoing saga of the investigation into partygate? If so, this is exactly what Boris Johnson and the Tories want. The latest one about him being presented with a birthday cake and people singing happy birthday is a distraction. It has allowed Tory MPs to say, “so what, he ate some cake”. If that was the only aspect, then I agree it is relatively trivial. The key issue is the culture of them doing what they want: the leaving parties with karaoke (banned in pubs at that time); the buying and hiding wine in a suitcase; the invite sent to 100 staff for a bring your own booze event when such mixing was banned and the Christmas party at a time when Johnson himself said they were banned. For the bring your own booze event; had it been a glass of wine or two, with a limited number of staff who were effectively working in a bubble, I can see why they might stretch the arguments slightly in their favour. However, an invite to 100 staff and his interior designer coming in for the event is actually a blatant breach of the regulations. Not to forget Johnson’s outright lying about what and what wasn’t happening.

Save the Dogs

I am a dog owner. I care about animals. However, it is hard to argue that it was justified to make special arrangements for the rescue of dogs from Afghanistan when Afghan-UK nationals were left stranded. When Afghans who worked with the UK security forces and their lives were at risk, many of them were left stranded. How can this strategy be justified – basically because Pen Farthing was all over social media, he got special treatment for his charity. This is when thousands of emails went unread. Of course, Johnson said it was nothing to do with him, but official emails now show he “authorised” the rescue. Another matter he has outright lied about. He is not fit for office.

Office return

Like many others, my office is now working on a phased return to workplace working rather than home working. I appreciate some people might be nervous or have enjoyed a home working routine. However, I know from my perspective having always worked in relatively busy offices, I prefer the social aspect and camaraderie of the office. I also found that it was easier to bounce ideas and discuss work-related matters with colleagues on a one to one basis. Another bonus of return to the workplace is that many town centre businesses benefit from that extra footfall.

Pension Auto-Enrolment

One successful measure implemented in recent years has been pension auto-enrolment. This has created an extra 10million people now having some form of private pension plan. A review in 2017, recommended lowering the qualification age, and other measures to extend the scheme to cover more people. This is a matter I am pursuing with the UK Government, as they are delaying for no good reason. Why talk up the success of a scheme and not do more to make it even more successful?

24th January 2022: A Week in Parliament

New Covid Treatment

We know bad news stories are easy to find. I was delighted to hear from a constituent who was so happy about the treatment he had received from the NHS locally. He was given notification that because of his health condition he would be eligible for a new viral anti-body treatment if he contracted covid-19. By coincidence, he did contract covid a few days later. He phoned the recommended number and was advised there is a daily 1030am meeting to discuss cases. The very next morning he was given the phone call to come in and get his treatment. A very small turnaround time and excellent service all around, protecting the most medically vulnerable. Well done to all involved.

Restrictions

I am sure everyone will welcome the lifting of most covid restrictions in Scotland. The wearing of masks has now been confirmed by the World Health Organisation as the number one low cost-effective protective measure against covid-19. It is therefore astonishing that in England they are lifting the requirement to wear masks on public transport and in shops. The reality is that Omicron is still about and it seems that Johnson is lifting all restrictions just to head off more unrest from his backbenchers. It is irresponsible. The Scottish Tories claim that the additional restrictions in Scotland compared to England has had no effect as infection rates in Scotland are similar to England. This is not true – London peaked with an infection rate twice as high as Scotland and while we had an infection rate of 1 in 20, England as a whole was at 1 in 15. Therefore, it can be argued infection rates are similar, but the reality is that statistically, for every 50,000 people covid positive, it would be 66,666 in England, meaning much more pressure on the NHS and services. It also means that the general rate in England was 33% higher. What will be difficult to prove, however, is how much it can be attributed to the additional measures we had to comply with.

Ukraine

The situation in Ukraine is a concern with the Russian troops mobilised on the border. There is strong talk from the United States about possible consequences. However, what appetite is there for another war? It is quite despairing really. What needs to happen before it is too late is for more robust sanctions to be applied to Russia including removal from the international payment system which would hurt them economically. More importantly, the United Kingdom and particularly the Tory party needs to clamp down on dodgy Russian money which is diverted through new developments, particularly in London. And of course, the Tories rely on donations from people with links to Russia. It stinks.

Office

In line with guidance from the Scottish Government about working from home where possible, my office remains closed to the public, except for special appointments. However, I am still doing virtual surgeries every Friday. So always get in touch if you are looking for assistance. I do look forward to fully re-opening though.

17th January 2022: A Week in Parliament

Partygate

Last summer, I looked out my window…there were loads of people coming through my side gate, and it sounded like their bags were clinking a fair bit. After a while, I went out into my garden, chatted to a few of them and enjoyed a nice glass of wine before going back inside to do some more work. It wasn’t until recently that I realised given it was during lockdown, that perhaps I shouldn’t have facilitated it all. At no point did I consider this a gathering. This is the gist of Boris Johnson’s latest excuse. How can this man credibly be Prime Minister?

Illegal Contracts

Because of the latest Downing Street revelations, it almost went unnoticed, but on the same day, Johnson was defending himself from the latest leaks, the courts confirmed that the VIP lane for the awarding of PPE contracts was illegal. This should have more people angry than is the case. In the midst of a pandemic, where the UK Government refused to do travel restrictions, and an early lockdown, we had a PPE crisis, affecting the lives of frontline NHS staff. Yes, emergency procurement was required, but even so, the Tories opted to use the emergency procurement measures to ensure friends and cronies benefited. It is the fact that it was people who knew how to make a quick buck rather than actually be specialised in supplying PPE is what gets me angry. Instead of talking about a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies, we should also be talking about a windfall tax on these companies that made hundreds of millions of pounds of profit from taxpayers, completely out of kilter with normal company performance.

Chinese Influence

As MPs we all need to be wary of you may be trying to influence you. M15 and parliamentary security recently went public on a London lawyer, Christine Lee, who they say are involved in covert operations for the Chinese Government/Communist Party. On the back of this, Barry Gardiner, Labour MP and former Minister/Shadow Minister has confirmed he had donations worth over £500k via Ms Lee to allow him to recruit staff. He has declared the donations openly, at least. However, it would seem incredible that an MP would not be suspicious about someone’s motives with such large financial backing. The fact he employed her son as diary manager may well have been her quid pro quo.

VAT on Energy Bills

Another Brexit lie, promoted by Boris Johnson is that on leaving the EU, then the UK would abolish VAT on energy bills. Yet, when Labour brought a motion to do just that, the Tories voted it down, including the backbench Tories who are still calling for a VAT cut. It is ridiculous, their excuse being that Labour was taking control of the order paper. Given VAT is about £90 per year for the average user, a temporary relief will be welcome. However, much more is required to combat the cost of living crisis, including direct intervention by the Government to stop the energy cap from rising massively in April.

10th January 2022: A Week in Parliament

New Year

Happy New Year. Again, we go into a new year and hope it is better than the one previously in terms of covid impacts. We may have some limited restrictions at the moment that are causing frustration. January 2021, we were in the grips of another lockdown, and record numbers of people were being admitted into hospital. This time around, it does seem true that the Omicron variant is milder than the other strains. However, hospital numbers are still at the level of February 2021. It is therefore very serious with people still getting so ill they are being admitted to hospital. This means a continued strain on the Scottish NHS – it means with people being off ill, fewer staff are dealing with these near-record numbers and other general services are affected or delayed. This is the reality of Omicron and we should not be dismissive of it and the impact. The amount of people contracting it is scary. At the time of writing, it is estimated that 1 in 20 people in Scotland have Omicron. In London, it is 1 in 10. Astonishing, and I am certainly not looking forward to mixing with people in London!

Pre-Christmas I was disappointed to have to cancel our office Christmas lunch. So, I am looking forward to rewarding staff when the current restrictions are lifted. Hopefully, some hospitality venues will benefit from other people doing likewise at a time that perhaps the venues would traditionally be quiet.

Pensions Spokesperson

I have been given an additional Spokesperson role – that of Pensions Spokesperson. It is challenging but a role I will relish. I have already been involved with the WASPI women campaign and this will continue. I intend to do more work looking at pension policies in other countries – the UK has one of the worst pensions in the world compared to the average working salary of the country. It is outrageous and an inequity I want to highlight. Worse, the UK Government has effectively cut the rate of pensions by £500 per year at the last budget. If you are a pensioner or approaching pension age, you should be outraged at this robbery. Taking £500 out of your pocket at a time when the cost of living is going through the roof. Help is needed, not taking money away from hard-pressed pensioners.

BEIS Committee Enquiry

A new BEIS Committee enquiry is looking at the current cost of the energy crisis and importantly how the market is operating and whether changes are required. Nearly 30 energy companies have gone bust this year. That in itself suggests market failure. Some people have been protected by the price cap, but if the UK Government does not intervene, the cap will increase by around £500 this April. It is estimated that the number of people in fuel poverty within the UK will increase from four million to six million. That is a 50% increase. Urgent Government action is required, using all the additional revenues they have collected from the crisis, including a predicted £6billion additional oil and gas revenues.

6th December 2021: A Week in Parliament

Boris Johnson’s Conduct

There is an infuriating rule in the House of Commons that you cannot accuse an MP of telling lies – even if you are sure they are lying. This is because we are all “honourable” and therefore it is not right to accuse a fellow MP of dishonour. The SNP held an opposition day debate on the conduct of Boris Johnson but because it was a specific motion about censuring Johnson for his conduct, it was confirmed, effectively, there was a licence to call things as they are. Very refreshing!

The one disappointment from my perspective was that I only had three minutes to speak, which clearly is not enough time to identify all Johnson’s failings. I was the only MP who brought up that Johnson had been caught conspiring to have a journalist beaten up. Imagine we have a Prime Minister who was happy to have someone beaten up? He is corrupt to the core – when questioned about rewarding Tory donors by appointing them to the Lords, he answered: “Until you get rid of the system by which the trades union barons fund other parties, we have to… we have to go ahead”. Confirmation of corruption!

Small Business Saturday

It was great to go and visit some businesses on the same street as my office – Titchfield Street. It was inspiring that for many it was not just about working for themselves, it was very much about creating and giving opportunities to others. This is proof that these small local businesses are the bedrock of our economy. It really was a pleasure to hear the various start-up stories.

Private Members Bills

Two of my colleagues were at Westminster to present private members bills. However, yet again they were victims of the archaic system whereby the UK Government deliberately talked out the bill on the agenda before theirs. This means their bills were not even given a debate. So frustrating especially when they were simple, fair bills. One was to allow asylum seekers to work while their applications are being assessed – surely we would rather asylum seekers earn money and integrate into society rather than be forbidden to work? The other bill was for automatic paid leave for women who suffer a miscarriage. I think it astonishing that such provision doesn’t exist at present and it is, therefore, even more, astonishing the Tories are blocking the concept.

Darvel Music Festival

It was great to see Skerryvore return to Darvel Town Hall as part of the Darvel Music Festival’s weekend. The atmosphere was fantastic and it does bring a buzz to Darvel. Well done to all the hard-working committee members who have kept this going – 20 years now which is amazing. Even more so, was talk of next year being their 21st anniversary, so it is great to have more events to look forward to. It is testament to the ambition of the committee to have attracted so many top-level acts over the years. Acts that genuinely bring fans from around the country to Darvel. Well done all.

29th November 2021: A Week in Parliament

PMQ Success!

In parliament, I have raised the need for a special pot of money purely for tidal stream electricity generation. It will allow Scotland to continue being a world leader in this technology. The Treasury had blocked this concept and there was limited time to change the auction conditions. I have raised the matter more than any other MP, and have signed cross-party letters looking for this targeted support. I was delighted then when I raised it at PMQs that Johnson confirmed a U-turn and that some funding would be made available specifically for tidal stream generation. While not enough for the industry to scale up the way it should be able to, but it was satisfying to be part of a campaign that brought about change in Government policy.

Covid Variant

It is a concern to hear of a new covid variant that is now even more deadly in terms of how infectious it is. This also shows that while we want to make sure all our citizens are vaccinated and protected, there is no point in doing this in isolation. We need to make sure the rest of the world gets vaccinated or these mutations will continue and continue. A worst-case scenario is a mutation that the current vaccinations do not protect us from. As a country, Israel was initially the one with the best vaccination rollout, except they were not treating the Palestinians in Gazza, the same. I called this out and a Twitter troll suggested I should concentrate on here first. However, these further mutations show how ludicrous it is for the western world to be holding vaccines about to go out of date when by helping other countries, we would also be adding to our own protection.

Asylum Seekers

Yet again, we witnessed desperate asylum seekers drowning in the English Channel. Why do they risk their lives to come to the UK? Because we are a soft touch and give them too much money? That’s what some people would have you believe. The reality is that France gives a more generous allowance. The UK gives a pittance. Why not stay in France then? This is where it is more complicated. Many of the asylum seekers trying to get to the UK already have relatives here. Also, English is their second language, so for them, it makes sense to claim asylum in the UK. Additionally, many come from countries that once were a part of the British Empire. As a result, they wrongly assume that they will get a better reception in the UK. Instead, the Tories are bringing in legislation that breaks international law – they want to make it a criminal offence to rescue people and bring them ashore to the UK. This means agencies like the RNLI, could be prosecuted if they save people from drowning and take them back to their lifeboat station. Just when you think they cannot be any more uncaring they prove you wrong.

22nd November 2021: A Week in Parliament

Mossgiel Dairy Farm

It was good to get another visit to Mossgiel Dairy Farm – not only has the farmer, Bryce, gone fully organic - he has plans in place to be zero carbon across the entire farm production including deliveries by 2025. He is proof that a business can be green and successful. His organic milk is now served in East Ayrshire schools which is a tremendous way of ensuring healthy local products for our children. Coming to nursery schools next too, so, well done East Ayrshire Council and Mossgiel.

Ayrshire Food Hub

I also held my first open advice surgery since covid restrictions kicked in. This was at the Ayrshire Food Hub at Crossroads. It was great to be able to speak to loads of constituents, some of whom came specifically regarding casework. The place was jumping in terms of customers and is well worth a visit. I couldn’t leave without buying some produce as there are always so much fine items available.

Nuclear Financing Bill

I am on a bill committee for the nuclear financing bill. This is where a committee of MPs debate the entire bill, effectively line by line. It takes up so much time – double sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays, and all the preparation in between. On Wednesday I was working past midnight analysing the clauses, creating amendments and speaking notes. This is the kind of work that generally goes unnoticed by the public. I don’t expect any plaudits for doing another part of my job but it is frustrating to be working hard while some politicians are more worried about lining their own pockets and tarnishing the reputation of all members. I have been told a few times that “all politicians are the same” and “are only in it for themselves”. That is not the case, but I certainly understand people’s anger at how some MPs behave.

Douglas Ross: MP, MSP and Linesman

It is ridiculous that Douglass Ross has managed to forget to report all his additional income as a linesman. Referring himself to the Standards Commissioner is a smokescreen – I give him the benefit of the doubt that it is not corruption given it is well known he is a linesman. I do not believe that he is trying to be covert about the additional income. However, consistently not declaring additional income is an offence. It is as simple as that. He also did not declare his MSP salary – he argues he didn’t think he needed to as he donates it to charity. This is a pathetic excuse. I received one salary payment from being a councillor as well as an MP. I declared this and knew I had to. I think for Douglas Ross it is pure arrogance that has caused this. When the Scottish Parliament Committee investigation into sexual harassment and the behaviour of Alex Salmond was ongoing, Ross kept making the airwaves demanding Nicola Sturgeon resign because “in my opinion, she has broken the ministerial code”. Of course, it was confirmed she didn’t break the code. Should Ross not consider his own position?

15th November 2021: A Week in Parliament

Remembrance Sunday

It was good that this year the ceremony at the Kilmarnock Cenotaph was able to go ahead, following last year’s covid – cancellation. Poignant as ever and I was honoured to lay a wreath there. I also attended the event at Rugby Park which pays tribute to the eight service personnel from the club who lost their lives during the two World Wars. This was the first service at the new Memorial Garden which also serves as a place of reflection all year round.

I then headed to Newmilns War Memorial, to lay a wreath in memory of my great uncle, Hugh Wilson, who was killed serving the Royal Scots in 1918. It is now 10-years since the last serving personnel from World War One passed away. Sadly, this also means that there are fewer and fewer surviving personnel from World War Two. However, it is clear that their service and that of subsequent conflicts will still be remembered and paid tribute to.

Two Job MPs

I have been contacted by constituents concerned about MPs with additional jobs and calling for a ban on this. I am open to a ban as long as it protects MPs that do work that maintains their professional qualifications. Some MPs can spare a few hours to advise businesses but the key questions are always why businesses pay such premium rates for a few hours advice? You have to imagine they expect a bit more in quid pro quo. The Owen Patterson affair rightly makes people angry and question the system. When I was elected in2015, I was offered the chance to stay on as a civil engineering consultant in a part-time role. I dismissed the concept out of hand as I was clear I wanted to focus fully on my MP role.

The fact that Geoffrey Cox QC MP has declared earnings of £400,000 per year as a “second job” is shocking. In reality, his second job is being an MP. Worse, his additional earnings are a combination of advising companies on tax issues [ie how to pay less] and also the British Virgin Isles on the corruption investigations they are facing. It is utterly shameless.

COP26

I managed another day at COP26 and spoke at an event. I attended Transport Day and was able to take a trip on a hydrogen train which is being put into manufacture. Hydrogen trains will be needed for net-zero as it will be practically impossible to completely electrify the entire rail network. Interestingly, Scotland has electrified its lines at twice the rate of the rest of the Great Britain network since devolution. Even so, we still have a smaller percentage of the electrified network because of past underinvestment.

On hydrogen production and use in general, the UK Government talk of being world-leading. However, I established that several countries have far more advanced hydrogen production facilities. It means that the UK and Scotland are playing catch up and making the decision not to support the Scottish Carbon Capture Cluster even worse.

8th November 2021: A Week in Parliament

Owen Patterson

The Owen Patterson affair has brought the Tories into disrepute, but by extension, all MPs end up being tarred by the same brush. He has had difficult personal circumstances to deal with in terms of his wife committing suicide. I know people who have had to deal with the suicide of family members and how difficult it is for them to come to terms with things and closure is almost impossible. Despite the difficult emotions he must have to manage, I think it terrible for him to blame his wife’s suicide on the investigation into his behaviour without acknowledging he was the cause of the inquiry. He was being paid £100,000 a year from two companies who he then lobbied the Government on for rule changes to benefit these companies without declaring his own interest. The cross-party Standards Committee agreed unanimously that it was the worst case of paid lobbying to have been uncovered and that he should be suspended from Parliament for 30 days. The Tories then rallied to overcome the decision. Patterson’s response? Instead of being graceful, and requesting privacy, he stated he would “do it all again”. No remorse. We will never know why the Prime Minister allegedly did a u-turn but after the Tories voted to protect corruption, they then decided after all that this was corruption, and that Patterson should have been punished. Patterson resigning as an MP is the correct outcome but the whole saga in Parliament proves, without a shadow of doubt, the Tories operate on a “one rule for you and one rule for us” policy. I hope Patterson finds inner peace given the tragedy of his wife but blaming “cruel politics” for making him resign is not the best start for him going forward.

House of Lords Appointments

An investigation by Opendemocracy and the Sunday Times has revealed that anyone who has donated £3m to the Tory party in the last 15 years has been appointed to the House of Lords. This means there is an unwritten rule that if you donate enough money to the party, you will become a lifelong peer and get to become a lawmaker. For many people that becomes a shrewd investment. We know that Tony Blair survived the “cash for honours” inquiry scandal because these things are hard to prove when undertaken through clandestine chats or a nudge-nudge basis. However, it is clear that both Tories and Labour have manipulated the system. And while this latest scandal is breaking, Sir Kier Starmer says Labour won’t abolish the House of Lords. Why would he take such a stance? This really needs to be answered.

COP26

I was privileged to attend COP26 on Energy Day. It was amazing to see the extent of the operations and speak to people from all over the world. It was particularly insightful speaking to those who will be the most affected by climate change but whose countries have done little to cause climate change. The warmth [no pun intended] for Scotland and the steps we are taking was also a welcome takeaway.