I see that our esteemed First Minister today ruled out a coalition with either Labour or the Tories after the UK General Election, stating: "We will not form a coalition with either Tweedledum or Tweedledee".
Not exactly the language of a statesman, but then again that's what we have come to expect from him.
It may suit Alex Salmond to try to portray that there is no difference between Labour and the Tories but some of us who lived through 18 years of Tory rule between 1979 and 1997 have long memories. I haven't forgotten or forgiven the damage that the Tories did to my community.
That is why over the coming weeks I intend to spend as much time as I can campaigning for the election of a Labour Government, just as I did 27 years ago when I joined the Labour Party. Mind you I am praying for a better result this time.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Faint praise from SNP MSP
I see that SNP list MSP Stuart McMillan has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament welcoming the funding that my Administration allocated in our budget for 5 additional teachers and an expansion of breakfast clubs. Mr McMillan of course could not resist pointing out that his SNP colleagues proposed that 8 teachers should be employed.
Maybe he should also have pointed out that his colleagues had no chance of getting their proposal accepted by the Council as they were not prepared to enter into discussions with the ruling group or that they proposed spending £22m on a multi-storey car park in Cathcart Street.
On the subject of teachers and class sizes, Mr McMillan might wish to know that I recently had the opportunity to question a group of senior education professionals on what they thought of the SNP Government's obsession with lower class sizes. Not one of them was of the view that this should be a priority at a time of severe pressure on the public finances. All of them were of the view that the quality of teachers is more important than class sizes and that if funding was to be available for more teachers it should be targeted at the schools with the greatest need rather than those with the highest class sizes.
Maybe he should also have pointed out that his colleagues had no chance of getting their proposal accepted by the Council as they were not prepared to enter into discussions with the ruling group or that they proposed spending £22m on a multi-storey car park in Cathcart Street.
On the subject of teachers and class sizes, Mr McMillan might wish to know that I recently had the opportunity to question a group of senior education professionals on what they thought of the SNP Government's obsession with lower class sizes. Not one of them was of the view that this should be a priority at a time of severe pressure on the public finances. All of them were of the view that the quality of teachers is more important than class sizes and that if funding was to be available for more teachers it should be targeted at the schools with the greatest need rather than those with the highest class sizes.
An interesting day
I have had an interesting and rewarding day.
In the early afternoon I paid a visit to Lady Alice Primary School to find out how children assessed as suffering from Irlen Syndrome, a condition that affects a person's ability to read, are benefiting from The Irlen Method, a technique that uses coloured overlays and lenses to reduce or eliminate poor depth perception and light sensitivity. I was very impressed by what I saw and heard, particularly from the children themselves, who have found that reading is much easier when they use the overlays and lenses.
Following a two hour meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee, I attended the election results for the Inverclyde Youth Council. Again I was very impressed by the number of young people who put themselves forward for election and their commitment to making Inverclyde a better place to live.
In the evening I attended the first public screening of "Tales from a Village", an animated film produced by Primary 7 pupils at Kilmacolm Primary School on life in the village between 1945 and 1960. The pupils - and those who assisted them - are to be congratulated on producing a very entertaining and informative piece of work. I have to give a special mention to my son Ronan who was a member of the production team.
Events like these remind me why I am involved in politics and why I have a passionate commitment to giving all our children and young people the best possible start in life.
In the early afternoon I paid a visit to Lady Alice Primary School to find out how children assessed as suffering from Irlen Syndrome, a condition that affects a person's ability to read, are benefiting from The Irlen Method, a technique that uses coloured overlays and lenses to reduce or eliminate poor depth perception and light sensitivity. I was very impressed by what I saw and heard, particularly from the children themselves, who have found that reading is much easier when they use the overlays and lenses.
Following a two hour meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee, I attended the election results for the Inverclyde Youth Council. Again I was very impressed by the number of young people who put themselves forward for election and their commitment to making Inverclyde a better place to live.
In the evening I attended the first public screening of "Tales from a Village", an animated film produced by Primary 7 pupils at Kilmacolm Primary School on life in the village between 1945 and 1960. The pupils - and those who assisted them - are to be congratulated on producing a very entertaining and informative piece of work. I have to give a special mention to my son Ronan who was a member of the production team.
Events like these remind me why I am involved in politics and why I have a passionate commitment to giving all our children and young people the best possible start in life.
Monday, 29 March 2010
The usual SNP nonsense
I see that SNP Councillor Chris Osborne is spouting the usual SNP nonsense in the letters' page of today's Greenock Telegraph, trying to misrepresent the position of Labour Councillors.
As Councillor Osborne full well knows, there has been no decision to introduce parking charges in Greenock Town Centre. All that has been agreed is a report on the pros and cons of charges. This proposal was actually supported by Councillor Osborne's SNP colleagues at the full Council meeting on 18 February. I wonder if he is going to write to the paper criticising them?
With regard to the SNP's budget proposals, Councillor Osborne and his colleagues did come up with one or two suggestions that were worthy of consideration (although these were a bit overshadowed by their proposal to spend £22m on a multi-storey car park in Cathcart Street). The problem was that by refusing to talk to the Administration in advance of the budget meeting they knew there was no chance their proposals would be accepted. Perhaps next year they will take a more mature approach to the budget.
As for his claim that Labour Councillors have a policy of compulsory redundancies, again that is nonsense.
Labour Councillors wish to avoid compulsory redundancies. We are committed to working with our trade unions colleagues to this end.
Given the scale of the financial challenges facing the Council, however, it would be irresponsible - if not dishonest - of any Councillors to give a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
I doubt very much if Councillor Osborne's SNP colleagues in neighbouring Renfrewshire Council would.
As Councillor Osborne full well knows, there has been no decision to introduce parking charges in Greenock Town Centre. All that has been agreed is a report on the pros and cons of charges. This proposal was actually supported by Councillor Osborne's SNP colleagues at the full Council meeting on 18 February. I wonder if he is going to write to the paper criticising them?
With regard to the SNP's budget proposals, Councillor Osborne and his colleagues did come up with one or two suggestions that were worthy of consideration (although these were a bit overshadowed by their proposal to spend £22m on a multi-storey car park in Cathcart Street). The problem was that by refusing to talk to the Administration in advance of the budget meeting they knew there was no chance their proposals would be accepted. Perhaps next year they will take a more mature approach to the budget.
As for his claim that Labour Councillors have a policy of compulsory redundancies, again that is nonsense.
Labour Councillors wish to avoid compulsory redundancies. We are committed to working with our trade unions colleagues to this end.
Given the scale of the financial challenges facing the Council, however, it would be irresponsible - if not dishonest - of any Councillors to give a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
I doubt very much if Councillor Osborne's SNP colleagues in neighbouring Renfrewshire Council would.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
The week ahead...
A shorter week due to the Easter holiday weekend but still a busy one:
Monday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.00 Visit to the Council's Mearns Centre
3.30 Chairing a meeting of the Inverclyde Alliance Board
5.00 Attending a briefing for all Councillors on proposals to rationalise the Council's office accommodation
6.00 Chairing a meeting of the Council's Strategic Leadership Forum (this was postponed from last Monday)
Tuesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
12.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
1.30 Visit to the Irlen Initiative at Lady Alice Primary School
3.00 Chairing a meeting of the Council's Policy & Resources Committee
4.00 Weekly meeting with the Chief Executive
5.00 Attending the announcement of the results of the Youth Parliament elections
6.30 Attending 'Tales from a Village' at Kilmacolm Primary School (postponed from last month due to bad weather)
7.30 Kilmacolm Community Council
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
2.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
3.30 Meeting with Councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld
4.00 Meeting of Peter Stanton Memorial Trust
5.30 Weekly meeting of the Labour Group
Thursday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.30 The Chief Executive's annual appraisal interview
Friday
Good Friday public holiday
Monday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.00 Visit to the Council's Mearns Centre
3.30 Chairing a meeting of the Inverclyde Alliance Board
5.00 Attending a briefing for all Councillors on proposals to rationalise the Council's office accommodation
6.00 Chairing a meeting of the Council's Strategic Leadership Forum (this was postponed from last Monday)
Tuesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
12.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
1.30 Visit to the Irlen Initiative at Lady Alice Primary School
3.00 Chairing a meeting of the Council's Policy & Resources Committee
4.00 Weekly meeting with the Chief Executive
5.00 Attending the announcement of the results of the Youth Parliament elections
6.30 Attending 'Tales from a Village' at Kilmacolm Primary School (postponed from last month due to bad weather)
7.30 Kilmacolm Community Council
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
2.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
3.30 Meeting with Councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld
4.00 Meeting of Peter Stanton Memorial Trust
5.30 Weekly meeting of the Labour Group
Thursday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.30 The Chief Executive's annual appraisal interview
Friday
Good Friday public holiday
Listening to your views
I spent Saturday morning at the Inverclyde Alliance's community engagement event in Gourock's Gamble Halls.
The event was very well attended by a cross section of the community - I was particularly pleased to see a good turn out of young people - and the atmosphere was very positive.
Discussion centred around two of the Alliance's eight local outcomes: tackling depopulation and giving all our young people the best start in life. I look forward to reading the report of the event as I am confident that there were a lot of good ideas generated from among the enthusiastic participants.
The next community engagement event is scheduled for Saturday 26 June 2010 in Clune Park Community Resource Centre. Further details will be available nearer time.
The event was very well attended by a cross section of the community - I was particularly pleased to see a good turn out of young people - and the atmosphere was very positive.
Discussion centred around two of the Alliance's eight local outcomes: tackling depopulation and giving all our young people the best start in life. I look forward to reading the report of the event as I am confident that there were a lot of good ideas generated from among the enthusiastic participants.
The next community engagement event is scheduled for Saturday 26 June 2010 in Clune Park Community Resource Centre. Further details will be available nearer time.
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Noble aims
I see that the Lib Dems 25 years old candidate for Inverclyde at the forthcoming general election - I can't recall his name - aims to "cut taxes for low and middle earners, clean up Westminster politics and give every child a fair start".
These are of course noble aims, if a touch ambitious.
I would suggest that a more realistic aim for our young would be MP might be the saving of his deposit.
These are of course noble aims, if a touch ambitious.
I would suggest that a more realistic aim for our young would be MP might be the saving of his deposit.
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