24th April 2023: A Week in Parliament

Trip to Dover

Last week, I undertook a cross-party trip to the Port of Dover to see how it operates daily. It is a fascinating process, on what is a very tight site, but designed for quick loading and discharge of vehicles – with three ferry operators providing multiple crossings daily. The Port hit the headlines over Easter due to delays in coaches being processed and able to travel onwards, with delays of 10 hours. It will come as no surprise, but this is a direct effect of Brexit with every single passenger’s passport now needing checked and stamped. The Port has put in place additional check areas and the French have provided additional resources as well. Even so, we were told about the fact that they are having to build an additional £50m facility to further increase checking capacity.

Meanwhile, Eurostar has cut its capacity by 30% as there is insufficient room to process passports at the St Pancreas terminus. This of course means that, in effect, fares will have to increase to offset the reduced number of seats. Yet again, as a result of Brexit. Additionally, another station serving Eurostar, Ashford, has closed indefinitely because it cannot cope. The Tories’ hard Brexit pledge is going well.

Scottish Renewables

I have once again called on the UK Government to step up and back Scotland’s renewable energy sector. I have called on them to prioritise the construction of new manufacturing facilities for renewable energy components. This will create new jobs and allow Scotland to continue being a world leader in this field. However, it seems that there is no plan in place for this job creation, no plan to match fund the just transition fund, no answer to the job losses at Harbour Energy, and no firm commitments on timescales for Acorn. To make matters worse, tidal stream funding has been halved instead of increased! It seems to be the case that ‘just transition’ is nothing more than warm words for this Tory Government. Time for action.

Iftar 

On Thursday I was honoured to attend the Iftar at the Ayrshire Muslim Education Centre. Along with other local representatives we were invited to celebrate the end of Ramadan. The event was specifically organised for non-Muslims and it was a great opportunity to go and learn more about such a special time for those observing Ramadan. I’d like to say a massive thanks to those at the Education Centre for their fantastic hospitality.

Street Surgeries

On Friday it was great to be out and about in the sunshine knocking on doors in the Grange Estate. Because of how big and spread out the estate is, it took us well over three hours to chap 300+ doors. It was probably the busiest one we have had in regard to picking up cases for the office as a lot of issues were raised. The experience was once again very positive, and it was refreshing to hear the amount of praise we were getting for being visible and out and about. Looking forward to tackling Stewarton this Friday!

17th April 2023: A Week in Parliament

DWP Report

A recent report by the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has revealed that the Department for Work and Pensions' health assessment system has resulted in the death of claimants. This shocking finding comes five years after the Committee's initial inquiry, which had already identified significant issues with the system. Despite the Committee's previous recommendations, the latest report has concluded that many of these problems have yet to be resolved, indicating a serious need for essential changes. The report calls for measures that prioritise the improvement of trust and transparency within the system to prevent any further loss of life. Five years ago the Tories were warned about this and chose to sit on their hands and do nothing – meanwhile, claimants lost their lives. This scandalous revelation is yet another example of the Tories' disregard and contempt for the most vulnerable in our society. Their sanction regime has plunged millions of families into poverty, while the SNP-led Scottish Government has prioritised a social security system built on fairness, dignity, and respect. Think about what we could achieve with the full powers.

Grange Street Surgery

This Friday I am looking forward to knocking on doors in the Grange estate as part of my constituency engagement. I will be in the area from 10.00 am – 1.00 pm as my staff and I aim to chap around 300 houses or so. Residents will have received a letter notifying them of my presence this week. However, any constituent who needs assistance with matters dealt with at Westminster such as social security, employment or immigration issues, please get in touch and I will do all I can to help. You can call my constituency office on 01563 501412, email me at alan.brown.mp@parliament.uk or come along to one of my regular surgeries at my constituency office. For devolved issues such as education, health and housing then it may be more appropriate to contact your local Councillor or Member of the Scottish Parliament.

Rail Meeting

I participated in a rail stakeholder event. It was interesting to hear how Scotrail is doing as a nationalised rail company. I welcome proposals to reform Sunday timetabling across the country. I also want to see a new station open at Mauchline, which is not yet in the pipeline. However, it was also an eye opener to see how much subsidy is applied to the current Kilmarnock – Glasgow service – effectively £3 per passenger journey which puts matters in perspective.

Kilmarnock F.C.

It’s fair to say that this weekend was a disaster for the club as we slumped into the play-off spot after a 4-1 hammering from Celtic. On a positive note, I did meet legendary footballer and World Cup winner, Jürgen Klinsmann! It was a surprise for everyone to see him rock up at Rugby Park on Sunday. Of course, Mr Klinsmann as South Korea manager, was there to rule the roost over Celtic’s Oh Hyeon-gyu. Great to see such a footballing icon pass through the gates at Rugby Park.

10th April 2023: A Week in Parliament

Easter

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend. Whatever you were up to, be it; attending church services, rolling your eggs down hills, spending some time with loved ones or doing some spring cleaning, I hope it was restful and enjoyable. It usually signals the start of better weather for us, so fingers crossed that this is the case! I appreciate that not everyone is lucky enough to have some time off so I would like to pay tribute to staff members in our public service who have been working during this time.

Street Surgeries

Last week it was great to be out and about in the constituency carrying out my Street Surgery initiative. On Wednesday morning I went to Cronberry and then in the afternoon to ‘The Courts’ in New Farm. Both were very positive experiences and great to talk to constituents on their doorstep about issues that are important to them, generally local matters. It was great that councillors Graham Barton and Neal Ingram joined me and my staff. The only downside was the torrential rain that occurred whilst out in the afternoon! It was fair to say we were drenched in the end, but a warm reception was received on the doorsteps.

Case Success

In last week’s column, I wrote about raising the cases of one of my constituents in parliament, mentioning that she had been awarded £3,500 in back payments from the Department of Work Pensions. However, there was an admin error from the DWP, and it has been recalculated…my constituent will now receive more than £23,800 in back payments! Truly fantastic news, but it’s frustrating that could not be remedied earlier.

Political Turmoil

 Yet another Tory MP is now under investigation for offering his services to a paid employer – offering to leak reports and ask questions in parliament. This is completely illegal and he is lucky it was only at the discussions stage rather than following through. I do not understand the absolute greed of these people and this follows another sting of MPs offering paid advisory services at £10k a day.

Of course, the SNP is dealing with the fact that Police Scotland raided the home of the former chief executive of the SNP. I hope this case is resolved one way or another - as soon as possible. I completely understand why the public gets fed up with politics but rest assured I will continue to work my hardest to serve my constituents.

 Grange Amateurs

Congratulations to Grange Amateurs from Kilmarnock who booked their place in the Semi-Final of the West of Scotland District Cup after beating Glasgow Caledonian 4-2 away from home. An excellent achievement and the only Ayrshire side left in the competition. They will play Budhill (Glasgow) in the Semi-Finals on Sunday 14th May, venue TBC. Both sides played each other in the Last 16 of the Scottish Cup earlier in the year and Grange ran out 3-0 winners – a similar result would be great! Best of luck lads.

3rd April 2023: A Week in Parliament

Humza Yousaf

I was pleased to see Humza was appointed the new leader of the party and also First Minister. On social media, I pledged my support to him during the leadership race. It is historic to see the first ethnic minority First Minister of Scotland and indeed the first Muslim leader in the western world. There is no doubt he has big shoes to fill and there will be many challenges ahead, however, I am confident he can hit the ground running.

Parliamentary Business

Plenty was happening at Parliament last week in the lead-up to the Easter Recess. I spoke in the Ministerial Statement on the review of the state pension age. The state pension age is set to increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and then to 68 between 2044 and 2046 – affecting people born after April 1977. However, the UK Government had proposed to bring forward the date for raising the pension age to 68. I called the UK Government out on not publishing the reports used to inform the review of the state pension age earlier, to allow for proper parliamentary scrutiny and highlighted that sadly Tory austerity and covid have reduced overall average life expectancy figures. We in the SNP oppose any further increases to the state pension age as the UK has one of the worst state pensions in Western Europe – a damning indictment on the supposed sixth-largest economy in the world! I asked them what lessons had been learned from the WASPI scandal, which affects more than 6,500 in my constituency, but I will not hold my breath. I fully believe an independent Scotland will be the best place to grow old in prosperity, not in poverty with a Westminster Government we did not vote for.

As well as this, I also criticised the UK Government’s energy policy. They are completely obsessed with nuclear and will not see past it. It is imperative they invest in Scotland’s renewable sector in backing pumped storage hydro and tidal stream. Scotland is a world leader in this field and Westminster is standing in the way of further prosperity.

Raising Cases in Parliament

I raised another constituent case at Business Questions. I called on the UK Government to provide more support to those being passed over to Social Security Scotland from DWP. My constituent, Carol Ann, had a stroke and her husband updated the DWP about her condition. She is due to be passed over to Social Security Scotland in May, but the DWP are doing absolutely nothing to help her in the meantime and trying to palm her off. I called on the Leader of the House to outline what they will do to make sure they treat cases with care and dignity until they migrate to Social Security Scotland. Hopefully, common sense will prevail.

I was delighted to hear following a case I raised the previous week, a constituent has been offered £3500 in backdated payments from the DWP. This is what gives me real job satisfaction.

Note…

Since publishing, it has been confirmed that due to an admin error from DWP, the amount backdated to my constituent is actually £23,500! Fantastic news in the end.

27th March 2023: A Week in Parliament

Prepayment Meters

Back in January, with my colleagues at the APPG on Fuel Poverty, we wrote to the UK Government expressing concerns about the treatment of the four million prepayment meter customers across the UK. The bulk of customers are part of the most vulnerable in our society and we called for a ban on forced installations as well as action to address pricing disparities. We made a number of recommendations, including providing financial support to prepayment customers and removing price differentials between payment types. Last week, we eventually received a response from Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who has asked Ofgem to explore further ways to ensure suppliers protect vulnerable customers. He has also called on suppliers to voluntarily end forced installations and give more support to those struggling to pay bills. It is good to see that MPs’ perseverance has paid off in bringing about change.

My “Energy Week”

In the past week at Westminster, I led the SNP on the final budget day, concentrating on Energy matters. That morning I participated in the BEIS Select Committee hearing on the decarbonisation of the energy grid. On Wednesday I had a PMQ and I pointed out where the UK Government is failing Scotland on a lack of support for the Acorn CCS project, pumped storage hydro and tidal stream technology. On Thursday I then summed up in a debate on the “energy trilemma” (the combination of energy security, cost and net zero).

Gatehead Street Surgery

Great to tick off another Street Surgery this year as my staff and I chapped doors in Gatehead on Friday. I always enjoy doing these types of surgeries as it is important to get out and talk to constituents on their doorstep about local and national issues that are important to them. The weather was somewhat challenging with rain and hailstones battering down throughout! However, it was another successful Street Surgery and it was great that the two new-starts in my office, Hayley and Gillian, got to experience that side of the job. Plenty of cases picked up and some good conversations with constituents. I look forward to being out and about more during the imminent Easter Recess, with more Street Surgeries on the agenda.

Scotland National Team

By the time you are reading this, we will know our fate against Spain on Tuesday night. Going into the game there is plenty to be positive about Steve Clarke’s Scotland. On Friday, it was announced Sir Steve had signed an extended deal to 2026 ahead of the campaign kicking off against Cyprus at the weekend. Being at Hampden on Saturday, I would say that it was a convincing victory and there is certainly a feel-good factor around the national team. I am confident that with the Tartan Army behind us on Tuesday we can do something special while understanding how big a challenge Spain represents. Safe travels to all constituents heading up to the game, I’m gutted I can’t be there.

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.

13th March 2023: A Week in Parliament

Fuel Payment

Last week I made a speech on more energy support for my constituents. Of course, by the time you are likely reading this, the budget will be announced by the UK Government. It was trailed that they will keep the scheme at current levels. However, with the fall in wholesale gas prices, they can do much more and should provide additional support, especially for those struggling the most. Ahead of this, I called for them to provide answers in relation to the delayed energy support scheme payments. Additionally, it's unfair that people in areas like the highlands and islands of Scotland have to apply for alternative fuel support, meanwhile, every household in Northern Ireland receives a £200 payment automatically. This scheme needs to be reviewed to ensure no one falls through the cracks in the future. The pass-through of payments to commercial landlords is another issue I raised. Unfortunately, the UK Government's plan lacks enforcement mechanisms to ensure the money goes to those who need it. This is unacceptable, and the onus should not be on individuals to pursue the money they're owed. Looking ahead, we need to prioritise reducing energy bills and supporting small businesses in the upcoming financial year. I am calling for a £500 reduction in bills and more significant support for small businesses. My office has seen first-hand the effects this has had on constituents and businesses. It's time for Westminster to take action and provide meaningful support to our communities.

Trophy Hunting Imports

I have received several emails from constituents in relation to the upcoming Report Stage of Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill on Friday (17th March). I share the concerns raised by many of my constituents about the cruel and outdated practice of trophy hunting and stand with them in calling for an end to this industry. The decline of some of the world’s most magnificent animals due to trophy hunting is a catastrophic loss that cannot be ignored. As a member of the SNP, I stand for sustainable and humane conservation efforts and support a ban on the import of hunting trophies.

Kilmarnock F.C.

Last Friday night was a disappointing one for Killie as we were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Inverness with a 2-1 defeat. The team put in a poor performance and were comfortably outplayed by a side in the division below. To make matters worse, Killie have not won up in Inverness since December 2010! Despite the disappointing result, I want to commend the excellent away support that travelled up to cheer on the team. Unfortunately, they were let down by a lacklustre performance on the pitch and the journey home would have been a sore one – thankfully my journey was broken up as I had the Campervan stationed in Aviemore for an overnight stay. Looking ahead, our priority now is to stay in the Premiership. This means we need to focus on winning upcoming matches, starting with St Johnstone at home this Saturday. This is a 'must win' game and I encourage all supporters to come out and show their support for the team. Let's get behind them and help them secure the win we all so desperately need.

6th March 2023: A Week in Parliament

Annanhill Primary

World Book Day is always a fantastic event. It’s great to see the kids and teachers all making an effort and dressing up to celebrate. On Twitter, I was able to see some wonderful pictures of schools all across the constituency making the most of it. Ahead of World Book Day itself, on Thursday, I visited Annanhill Primary to mark the occasion. I read Horrible Histories: Frightful First World War to the P4GM class. For me, this was perfect as I was able to relate one of my biggest interests to the pupils. I have a great passion for history, and in particular, the First World War, and the class were brilliant. We carried out a quiz with the class and I also participated in a Q&A with the pupils which was really fun. The importance of reading cannot be underestimated, and it is vital we do all we can to convey this. Despite living in a digital age where everything is accessible at the click of a button, nothing beats picking up a hardback and reading away at your own leisure! It was refreshing to see how keen the kids were. Many thanks to P4GM, Mrs Gemmell and everyone at Annanhill for having me.

WASPI

I have been a long-term supporter of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) Campaign and their pursuit of justice. The only avenue left for the group is to take their case to a Judicial Review given the PHSO’s Stage 2 report, and they are hoping to raise £100,000 in order to fund this legal battle. It is unacceptable that women born in the 1950s have had their state pension age increased without adequate notice or compensation. The UK government must be held accountable for the impact this has had on the affected women, many of whom have been left struggling to make ends meet including more than 6,500 in my constituency and 3.8 million across the UK. The judicial review will provide an opportunity to challenge the Government's decision and seek justice for those who have been unfairly impacted. It is important to reiterate my support for their cause will continue to fight for their rights at Westminster and engage with the local Cunninghame WASPI Group.

BEIS Select Committee

Last week, along with my colleagues in the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee we visited Brussels. The objective of the trip was to analyse how the European Union intend to progress in the energy sector without being dependent on Russia. As a result of Brexit and the UK’s relationship, or lack of, with the EU means that we are being excluded from these key discussions over energy policy. Therefore my message to the Westminster Government is to get back around the negotiation table and open up a dialogue with Brussels so that my constituents and the rest of ordinary working folk in the UK are not left behind as a result of this.

Boris Johnson

A cross-party committee has released a report that Johnson probably misled (lied) to Parliament on four occasions concerning the parties at Downing Street. The charlatan of course still claims it’s a stitch-up. He is a national disgrace.

27th February 2023: A Week in Parliament

Stagecoach

Last week I was delighted to attend Stagecoach West of Scotland's launch of 27 new zero-emission buses at Ayr bus station. The Scottish Government have invested around £15.7m in this project which will see 25 Volvo BZL single-deck buses, the first to operate in the UK, added to the West Scotland electric fleet. Additionally, two Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) BYD single-deck buses will be introduced, taking the total ADL fleet to 17. These buses will operate all across Ayrshire and is a massive step towards our leading climate change targets and Net-Zero goals. I already use one of the buses in the Number 1 service from the Irvine Valley to Kilmarnock - it is fantastic. Therefore, I am really looking forward to this fleet being on the road by March and available for users across Ayrshire and the West of Scotland.

Royal Mail BEIS Committee Question Session

In last week’s column, I wrote about my visit to Royal Mail at Queen’s Drive and the discussions I had with workers on the ground as well as management. The big concern was the PDAs and workers feeling that their privacy was being invaded and ‘Big Brother was watching’ them. Again, I got clarity from the management that it was impossible, at the moment, to live track posties as they worked through their route – however, the workers did still have valid concerns over some of the process. As I sit on the BEIS (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) Committee, we had a question session with some of the senior members from Royal Mail; Simon Thompson (CEO), Keith Williams (Chairman), and Ricky McAulay (Director). I was astounded that Simon Thompson, to his “own recollection”, stated that he had not been made aware of any concerns relating to tracking. Thompson claims to go out and engage with the workers on the ground regularly, therefore, I was surprised to hear him say no one had raised this. The main reason being that nearly every single postie I have spoken to about the matter raised concerns about tracking – it must just be a problem at Kilmarnock!

Local Football Club Facilities

On Friday I hosted a meeting with members of Shortlees Amateurs F.C. and East Ayrshire Council at my office. We are all aware of the issues the side has faced with regard to a home pitch and it was good to sit down with James, John and Colin of the club and have an open discussion with Craig and Adam from East Ayrshire. I felt the discussion was positive and at least a starting point to try and bring football back to the community of Shortlees. I also raised the case of other local sides, Newmilns Greenholm AFC and Stewarton, who aim to bring football back to their community. On Saturday before the Killie game, I attended a litter pick in Newmilns organised by the club. It was well attended and great to see people working together for the betterment of their local community.

20th February 2023: A Week in Parliament

First Minister

I was as shocked as anyone when the news broke about the First Minister resigning. I am gutted she has decided to step down from the role she carried out with such grace and dignity. But as she referenced in her press conference, she is a human being at the end of the day - and serving as FM and party leader since November 2014 will have been extremely tiring and stressful. I commend her for her leadership over the last eight years and her service to the party for more than 30 years. She was a true leader in every sense of the word – personified through overseeing some of the most unprecedented times in our country’s history, namely the covid pandemic. As well as being strong and courageous in her leadership, I feel she changed the dynamic of mainstream party leaders. She was everything that her Westminster- elite opposition wasn’t transparent, personable, and forward-thinking. At the point of resignation, she was still, by far, the most popular leader of any political party in the UK. Nicola will be sorely missed but I wish her well and look forward to her still being a force and fighting for change from the backbenches at Holyrood.

Royal Mail Visit

I enjoyed meeting with representatives from Royal Mail at my local depot at Queen’s Drive in Kilmarnock. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about PDAs (Postal Digital Assistants). It is a matter which has been controversial with a lot of postal workers feeling that it is infringing on their privacy and essentially tracking them as they work. I spoke with workers on the floor and members of their Union before noting some of their concerns and raising these with their superiors. It was reassuring to hear that the PDA data cannot be accessed for live tracking in place. The management figures were adamant that the purpose of this device is to improve efficiency and they do not have the capacity to spy on workers. They hope the data it gathers will spread the workload better for workers and identify areas which are of higher demand and need more assistance. The discussions with both parties were positive and it was great to have an open dialogue which I hope provided a lot more clarity for both sides. It was also great to see the relationship between the management team and Denis, the local Union Rep, I liked the fact they could both raise their concerns and still maintain a strong working relationship – it is a testament to the individuals as a lot of other workplaces may not be as receptive. That doesn’t mean however, that that there are not concerns about the use and monitoring of the PDA data, and there is no doubt that the Royal Mail workforce feels “big brother” is watching them. the company has to do more to prove this is not the case. I look forward to being kept up to date with the proceedings and being part of the BEIS Select Committee's ongoing enquiry.