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.
We have had another, quite unbelievable month in the world of Scottish Politics. The WhatsApp correspondence of numerous, prominent Scottish Government Ministers and external figures in high profile organisations have been disclosed to the UK Covid Inquiry.
The remarks made by former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon are extraordinary and undeniably unprofessional. The extent of hypocrisy demonstrated by the SNP throughout, during and after the crisis is immeasurable. What should have been crucial then but was clearly not, was a Scottish Government prioritising the interests of the nation, not relegating them to the bottom of the pile.
My fellow Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser penned an interesting article about the scandal which you can read here
Resources in schools are under severe pressure. Hundreds of teachers are retiring early every year, making a bad situation even worse, as I discovered through my own research.
The Scottish Government needs to explain why there has been such a steep rise in early retirements from this occupation in recent years. We talk about how crucial it is to attract new people into teaching to ensure sufficient staffing numbers for the future, but it’s also essential that we retain as many experienced teachers as possible; they are absolutely vital to the system.
This means raising standards, tackling violence in the classroom, and making teaching in Scotland a job that’s worth sticking around for.
You can read more on this here
As a direct result of funding cuts set out in the SNP's draft budget, places for Scottish Students at Scottish Universities are being cut by at least 1,200. In other words, there will be at least 1,200 fewer places at Scottish universities available to Scottish domiciled students going forward.
Furthermore, under my questioning in committee, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth conceded that her policies are causing Universities to increasingly rely on international students. I inquired about the measures she is taking to mitigate this dependence, ensuring that Scottish Universities are not overly reliant on students from overseas.
You can watch the clip here
In January, Labour called a debate on Education, in which I led for the Scottish Conservatives.
The absurdity of having to propose an amendment and open in this debate with only 4 minutes was clear. Nevertheless, I tried to show that in contrast to the SNP Government, Scottish Conservatives are all about solutions.
It is only 4 minutes, so have a watch and see what you think
Residents in the North East may have noticed some deeply upsetting news from our business community with the closure of several small businesses, such as Bellewren in Westhill, Haigs the Butcher Shop and Olive Alexanders in Aberdeen.
Compounding this, it was revealed recently that the flagship Marks and Spencer store on St Nicholas Street will close. Undoubtedly, this is another setback for the city. The closure will create a significant gap in Aberdeen City Centre, occurring just two years after the loss of John Lewis and Debenhams.
Additionally, the plight of retailers facing high business rates, diminished customer footfall, due to the likes of the bus gates fiasco and uncertainty surrounding parking availability, contribute to the City Centre rapidly becoming a ghost town.
I raised this issue in the Scottish Parliament which you can watch here
The collapse of the Stewart Milne Group has caused turmoil throughout the country. It has been truly devastating to hear about the number of job losses, and stories of first time buyer’s dreams shattered. Others are living on what can best be described as building sites, with other customers left with uncertainty surrounding snagging issues and part exchanges.
The demise of the company means more pressure for local councils, who may, in time, have to foot the bill for incomplete and unadopted roads. As local authority budgets are already spread thin, I cannot see how this can be done successfully without further cuts or increased costs to the taxpayer.
As always, I will do whatever I can to support local constituents who have been affected by this, please reach out if I can be of assistance.
You can read more about this here
The ‘kick it in the long grass’ review of the A96 dualling promise has now cost the taxpayer over £5 million and has been delayed by over a year. Meanwhile, figures produced by the Scottish Conservatives sadly show that the deaths and serious injuries continue.
I asked the First Minister when the road will be dualled and the review published?
You can watch the video here
I was delighted to attend Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club with the brilliant Inverurie Whisky Shop who were offering gin and whisky tasting. They showcased a wide variety of local and national offerings (including some first class Glen Garioch).
Businesses like Inverurie Whisky Shop not only showcase our region as the best place to start and grow a business, but also why it's quite simply the best place to live!
It was great to join Stephen Kerr MSP, our candidate for Angus & Perthshire Glens, on the campaign trail in Blairgowrie & Rattray last weekend.
We were joined by the UK Government Security minister Tom Tugendhat MP. It was a pleasure to have the time to chat with him about the North East of Scotland and how we can better work together across the UK.
It was also a privilege to chat to so many local residents, many who are fed up with the constant division from Humza Yousaf and the SNP, and are looking to vote tactically to kick them out. It's clear across the North East, if you want to get rid of the SNP, your best bet is to vote Scottish Conservative.
댓글