Welcome to my newsletter, where I set out what I have been doing over the last month. If you want to see more of what I am up to, follow me on social media. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch through the details below.
For those who follow me on Social Media, or have read my monthly newsletters, you'll know that I have consistently asked the SNP to follow through on their decade old promise to dual the A96.
It’s appalling that the Scottish Government is happy to dither and delay about an announcement on the A96, in the hope they can kick the proposals into the long grass to appease the extremist, anti-motorist Scottish Greens.
We, as Scottish Conservative North East MSPs, have collectively asked for a meeting with the new Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop to demand that progress is made on dualling the A96 in full. Her lack of response speaks volumes about the shameful way the SNP have treated communities across Aberdeenshire and Moray who have been pushed to the side in favour of the central belt.
Rather than trying to cover up for her party’s failings, Fiona Hyslop and the SNP need to get out of first gear, publish the promised review, and get on with fulfilling their 2011 promise of dualling the A96.
The P&J give some further detail in their storyhere, and you can see my question to the minister here
My colleague Douglas Lumsden MSP brought forward a debate in Parliament about the need for Nuclear to be a major part of our future energy mix. I wasn't listed to speak in the debate but after hearing some of the ridiculous contributions from the Scottish Government, often reusing arguments that have been debunked countless times, I decided to press the request to speak button.
Have a listen and let me know what you think!
One of the things I am always keen to do as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education is to look at where schools are achieving and how we can best replicate that across the board. Nowhere has that been clearer than Dunoon Grammar School. My colleague Donald Cameron brought forward a motion to celebrate their recent success.
It is vital that we look at schools like Dunoon Grammar School not just to celebrate their achievements but also to learn lessons and how other schools across the country can benefit.
You can read about the recent successes at Dunoon Grammar School here and watch my contribution here
Earlier in the month, I was delighted to find out that Nestrans will be taking forward plans for proposed new railway stations at Cove and Newtonhill. Stations which would bring substantial benefits to both communities, and reduce the number of car journeys.
I have been in regular contact with the transport body, whose work has shown that the creation of these new stations should happen now and not further down the line.
My petition has now gathered more than 1,500 signatures, highlighting the strength of public feeling for these proposals.
The North East has been held back for too long on rail at a time when Levenmouth, Inverness and Reston have all received funding for new or improved railway stations.
It’s high time we get our fair share, which is why in Parliament, I will be pushing the Scottish Government to commit to funding these much-needed stations.
You can read more about this here
It's been clear for some time that the SNP have done all they can to undermine our Oil & Gas industry, worse still to see Scottish & UK Labour sign up to the same ludicrous policies that would see over 100,000 jobs in our region put at risk.
This is why the P&J and Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce rightly highlighted this with a rather striking front page a few weeks ago.
It is clear that only the Scottish Conservatives can be trusted to defend our Oil & Gas industry and allow us to transition in a fair and balanced way.
You can hear more from me on this here
A damning report was recently published by teaching union EIS about the violence teachers in Aberdeen have been contending with. 1 in 3 teachers surveyed said they had experienced abuse or been attacked. This statistic should shame the Scottish Government.
To make matters even worse, last Sunday when the Education Secretary, Jenny Gilruth MSP, was asked about her views on the report, she responded “I haven’t looked at the specifics of the EIS" report from Aberdeen. “I don’t oversee education locally. That’s a matter for the local authority.”
The education secretary’s complacency and buck-passing on the epidemic of violence in Scotland’s classrooms was shocking, but sadly predictable.
Not only are her SNP Government undermining councils – with brutal funding cuts that are forcing them to axe teachers – it’s an abdication of responsibility. As Education Secretary, she should be setting out a zero-tolerance approach to classroom violence and providing guidance on exclusion policy for the worst offenders.
Jenny Gilruth’s inertia and hand wringing must stop. Our terrified teachers need action now from the SNP Government.
You can read more on this topic here
One of the privileges of doing this job is meeting some brilliant people and organisations across the North East, and Rosie's Social Enterprises is a shining example. Located on Holburn Street, the team do a fantastic job providing vocational training, support and work experience for those who are recovering from acquired brain injuries and mental health issues, alongside a range of other conditions.
I was pleased to submit a motion to Parliament on their achievements, and I was delighted to meet with the team to hand it over in person.
I met the inspiration and North East champion that is Jamie Robertson (with thanks to Alex Geddes at Peterhead Prison Museum for setting it up). We all know how brilliant the North East is but sometimes perhaps we don't shout loudly enough about it.
Jamie does it through his Scotland - A Path Less Known channel - and it's amazing how good his promo videos are.
You can find his videos on Youtube here
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