In a rush
I haven’t got time to
write much this week, I’m in a right rush to
get things done, so just a few wee quick
things to note:
-
Police numbers –
there are more than 1,000 more police
officers in
Scotland since we
came to power in 2007, fulfilling one of
our manifesto commitments – and 509 of
them are in Strathclyde. Funnily
enough, that’s the second time we’ve
fulfilled this pledge.
-
Lanarkshire NHS
hit its targets for dealing with
referrals, both in-patient and
out-patient, the target is to have them
seen within twelve weeks,
NHS Lanarkshire
did that on 100% of occasions. Patients
getting seen and getting treated –
that’s what the NHS is supposed to be
about.
-
There were 11,580
respite care weeks provided in
Lanarkshire last year, up by 1,520 on
the last year that Labour was in power.
Carers need a bit of time to recover and
recharge their own batteries in order to
carry on taking care of their family
members 24 hours a day; I’m pleased
we’ve increased the weeks of respite
that they get.
Things are good with
the SNP in charge!
There’s more sobering
news as well, though. Last week
another soldier was brought home for burial
– this time he was from
Hamilton. 22
year-old
Corporal
Johnathan Moore of the Royal Scots Borderers
was killed in action in Sangin in
Afghanistan. We send soldiers to war
zones and some of them come home in coffins
to their grieving families. However
much politicians argue about war aims we
should keep in mind that these men and women
go to do in our name that which we are not
willing to do ourselves and we only sleep
peacefully in our beds at night because they
stand ready to do violence and face violence
on our behalf. Members of our armed
services who die in the line of duty demand
our respect and our abiding remembrance of
their service and their sacrifice; we are
behoven to them and our debt remains unpaid.
The respect we have
for them should be reflected in the way we
care for the communities they stand to
protect, how we treat each other and how we
build a better future. There’s a
pledge from the new police inspector in
Hamilton
to crack down on drug dealing, anti-social
behaviour and violent crime. Inspector
Gillian Scott seems like just the kind of
senior police officer we need in Hamilton
and I look forward to working with her in
the times to come.
While we’re talking about respect, we’ve
heard a lot about
Strathclyde
Partnership for Transport (SPT) recently and
not much of it has been very good news so
it’s a wee pleasure to note that SPT is to
upgrade the bus station in Hamilton with the
first stage happening over the next couple
of years. There’sa public
consultation on the plans now, and they can
be seen in SPT’s Travel Centre beside the
bus station. If you want to make your
views known, I’m sure SPT will be listening
carefully these days.
In another
town (one we call London), there’s the
unpalateable spectacle of MPs seeking to use
the 1688 English Bill of Rights to avoid
prosecution for expenses fraud. The
Bill of Rights was the invitation to William
and Mary to take over the sovereignty of the
United Kingdom in return for granting a few
freedoms, one of which was:
“That
the Freedome of Speech and Debates or
Proceedings in Parlyament ought not to be
impeached or questioned in any Court or
Place out of Parlyament.”
I take it that is the
bit they’re founding their case on.
How they think they can argue that expenses
claims (which I assume did not exist in
1688) are the proceedings of Parliament is
beyond me, though, surely the proceedings
are what goes on in Parliament – the
reports, the happenings in committees, the
actions of MPs as MPs? Unless, of
course, they’re trying to argue that an
offence committed inside the
Palace of Westminster
shouldn’t go to court? If you want to
murder your MP – do it in the House of
Commons …
Just before I dash
off, two things coming up – a vigil at
Dungavel on Sunday to mark Mothers’ Day,
starting at 1pm, please feel free to turn
up, it’s about being quiet and dignified and
making a quiet stand against the UK’s asylum
system, it’s not rowdy. The staff at
Dungavel do the best possible job in
difficult circumstances but the asylum
system needs changed.
And the other thing is
barbecued politician – I’m doing a firewalk
to raise funds for
MND Scotland at
Falkirk stadium on Friday night. If
you’d like to sponsor me or just give a
donation to help research into Motor Neurone
Disease, visit
www.justgiving.com/christina-mckelvie-msp
Speak soon.
Christina
