Keeping up with you 4 November
Hello and welcome to all of you in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.
Thank you for taking a moment to look at this email. I want to keep everyone in touch with what’s going on in the constituency and what it might mean for you.
My door is open to anyone who seeks advice and support, so you can phone or email me at any time.
You also have the option of visiting constituency surgeries on Mondays. You don't need to make an appointment.
If you haven’t yet subscribed to receive your personalised copy of this newsletter, which we are sending out every two weeks, then please do sign up here.
Our independence
What a day it was last Saturday! Tens of thousands of people in George Square listening to our brilliant speakers. Never mind the fact that it was cold and wet, there was such an atmosphere of shared enthusiasm and excitement that everybody felt a huge resurgence of anticipation.
You can see more at #indyref2020. Or catch more of the pictures on you tube: https://tinyurl.com/yxrecd6d
Our First Minister has stated clearly that our independence ‘is within touching distance.’
So while Boris Johnson says he won’t allow Scotland the right to vote on its own future, and Jeremy Corbyn says a new independence referendum is ‘not necessary or desirable,’ we know where we are going and we will make it happen.
The SNP has taken on many challenges from Westminster and we’ll make many more. We have a strong team there now, so make sure you use your vote so that we can increase our numbers there.
With an election round the corner, one that the FM describes as ‘the most important one Scotland has faced in modern times,’ Nicola Sturgeon expressed the determination of everyone in the Yes movement when she said, prior to the demonstration: ‘So much is on the line – people are completely fed up with the mess at Westminster. But George Square will be packed today as people from all backgrounds join together to demand a better future for Scotland.’
As promised at Conference, the FM has confirmed that she will seek a section 30 order, which transfers the requisite legal power to Holyrood, immediately after the election regardless of what party was in Downing Street.
We’re on the campaign trail again and it feels great! Even if you’ve never previously considered voting for the SNP, think about it now and think about getting more involved. This is your country and your independence, wherever you have come from within or without of Scotland.
Brexit
I’ve been staying away from Brexit for obvious reasons. Every time I finished up the Newsletter on a Monday morning, there would be some new and ever more confusing development that made me out of date before the afternoon had started.
But now the Prime Minister has really come a cropper among his supporters. He has not died in the ditch and he has even half-heartedly apologised for his complete failure to deliver his promised Brexit deal by 31 October. He’s had to start melting down the Brexit 50p pieces which have proven to be as much use as his water cannon, the Garden Bridge. He was called out in the Guardian in August 2017 https://tinyurl.com/y8qttf3y for eight failed vanity projects upon which £940m of tax payers money had been wasted during his time as Lord Mayor.
You have to ask why people believe his known lies and still think he’s the right man for the job. I do try hard to understand how his supporters think but I do find it very difficult. Why would anyone want to make their own lives worse? Lose human and workers’ rights, put tariffs on goods we want to export and lose access to the open market of the EU?
Now we have a brief breather. What will happen by 31 January 2020? I have no idea but I have a horrible feeling it won’t get any better in Westminster.
Scotland needs independence to escape from this imbroglio and make the decisions that are right for people here.
You can see more at #indyref2020. Or catch more of the pictures on you tube: https://tinyurl.com/yxrecd6d
Our First Minister has stated clearly that our independence ‘is within touching distance.’ She is not going to take any nonsense from Boris Johnson either: “I wonder if at any point during #GE19 the media will subject this unsustainable and undemocratic position to any serious scrutiny [referring to the PM saying that he will reject any request for a second referendum] You know, instead of just asking if they will ‘allow’ actually asking them to justify saying they will ignore the votes of the Scottish people?”
So while Boris Johnson says he won’t allow Scotland the right to vote on its own future, and Jeremy Corby says a new independence referendum is ‘not necessary or desirable,’ we know where we are going and we will make it happen.
The SNP has taken on many challenges from Westminster and we’ll make many more. We have a strong team there now, so make sure you use your vote so that we can increase our numbers there.
With an election round the corner, one that the FM describes as ‘the most important one Scotland has faced in modern times,’ Nicola Sturgeon expressed the determination of everyone in the Yes movement when she said, prior to the demonstration: ‘So much is on the line – people are completely fed up with the mess at Westminster. But George Square will be packed today as people from all backgrounds join together to demand a better future for Scotland.’
As promised at Conference, the FM has confirmed that she will seek a section 30 order, which transfers the requisite legal power to Holyrood, immediately after the election regardless of what party was in Downing Street.
We’re on the campaign trail again and it feels great! Even if you’ve never previously considered voting for the SNP, think about it now and think about getting more involved. This is your country and your independence, wherever you have come from within or without of Scotland.
Hamilton Food Bank
I want to emphasise, yet again, just how vital, how brilliant, how committed the people who run the food bank in Hamilton are. Apart from Brexit MEPs, they are the only people I know who would like to lose their jobs. If Brexit does happen – and it is still an if – we will be depending upon our food banks more and more.
Let me just give you a small example of a few of the Tweets that have accompanied their recent call for donations in the run-up to Christmas.
* Really humbling to see the great work you are all doing running such a vital support network in our community. well done Isobel and your team and thank you for all the help you provide.
* Can't give the people who run this enough credit. Just amazing. Keep up the good work
* I’d encourage anyone to try to donate what they can to help them
* Brilliant team, doing a fantastic job.
Isobel and her team are awesome, as are all of the generous people of Hamilton and district who donate time, goods and enthusiasm.
So please add your own donations and help the food bank make Christmas better.
Hamilton Churches Drop-In Centre
This great charity group puts its emphasis on the exterior rather than the interior. They are looking for any old winter jackets or coats that people no longer need. They will pass them on to some of their visitors to help keep folk warm over the winter. Find out more about the group here: https://tinyurl.com/yyhn4s84
Low income families helped
Nearly £210 million has been paid to 347,045 low income households by the Scottish Welfare Fund since it was established in 2013, latest figures show.
Crisis grant applications to the fund for basic essentials such as food and heating increased by 12% from April to June compared to the same period last year.
In addition, for the first time exceptional pressure is the main reason for Community Care Grant applications. Previously, the biggest reason for these applications was helping people to stay in their community.
The fund, which enables local authorities to provide grants for people on low incomes, is part of the Scottish Government’s mitigation efforts for UK Government welfare cuts. Estimates suggest social security spending in Scotland is set to reduce by £3.7 billion per year by 2021.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:
“These are yet more signals of how much families are struggling.
“In the face of UK Government cuts and with the threat of a ‘no deal’ Brexit still alive – the risk is real that tens of thousands more people could be pushed into poverty in Scotland.
“The Scottish Government will not stand by and let people who are already struggling continue to face a reliance on food banks and the stress of debt and rent arrears.
“We will continue to spend at least £100 million each year to mitigate the worst effects of the UK government welfare cuts – part of the £1.4 billion we spent last year to support low income households.
“This is money we should be able to invest elsewhere to help pull people out of poverty but we instead we need to use to protect the poorest and most vulnerable in our country.
“And we are introducing the Scottish Child Payment to tackle child poverty head on. But there is no doubt that without the cuts inflicted on families by the UK Government this could go so much further
Hamilton Churches Drop-In Centre
This great charity group puts its emphasis on the exterior rather than the interior. They are looking for any old winter jackets or coats that people no longer need. They will pass them on to some of their visitors to help keep folk warm over the winter. Find out more about the group here: https://tinyurl.com/yyhn4s84
Low income families helped
Nearly £210 million has been paid to 347,045 low income households by the Scottish Welfare Fund since it was established in 2013, latest figures show.
Crisis grant applications to the fund for basic essentials such as food and heating increased by 12% from April to June compared to the same period last year.
In addition, for the first time exceptional pressure is the main reason for Community Care Grant applications. Previously, the biggest reason for these applications was helping people to stay in their community.
The fund, which enables local authorities to provide grants for people on low incomes, is part of the Scottish Government’s mitigation efforts for UK Government welfare cuts. Estimates suggest social security spending in Scotland is set to reduce by £3.7 billion per year by 2021.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:
“These are yet more signals of how much families are struggling.
“In the face of UK Government cuts and with the threat of a ‘no deal’ Brexit still alive – the risk is real that tens of thousands more people could be pushed into poverty in Scotland.
“The Scottish Government will not stand by and let people who are already struggling continue to face a reliance on food banks and the stress of debt and rent arrears.
“We will continue to spend at least £100 million each year to mitigate the worst effects of the UK government welfare cuts – part of the £1.4 billion we spent last year to support low income households.
“This is money we should be able to invest elsewhere to help pull people out of poverty but we instead we need to use to protect the poorest and most vulnerable in our country.
“And we are introducing the Scottish Child Payment to tackle child poverty head on. But there is no doubt that without the cuts inflicted on families by the UK Government this could go so much further.”
Know your menopause
Many of you will already know that trying to take the stigma out of the menopause continues to be an abiding campaign of mine.
So I’m delighted to see #knowyourmenopause launch a poster campaign. They aim to get a poster into every GP surgery and health centre right across the whole country in an effort to raise awareness, particularly of early menopause.
You can download your own poster at http://www.positivity.co.uk/ or @positivity2
