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.
This month, the SNP's appalling Hate Crime Bill resurfaced as they announced their intention to bring it into force on April Fool's Day [insert your own joke here!].
I led for the Scottish Conservatives in the final debate and as you can hear, I urged the Parliament to vote down what is an egregious attack on free speech, ill-defined and an utter waste of police time and resources. To say nothing of an unwarranted and illiberal intrusion into private lives.
You can listen to my contribution from 2019 here
In mid-March I was incredibly moved by the stories from the Long Covid sufferers I met outside the Scottish Parliament. It is estimated that over 187,000 people in Scotland are living with Long Covid, many in the North East, and all in need of urgent access to specialist treatment and support.
This is why I was happy to sign the Long Covid pledge to do exactly that, and I hope the Scottish Government will finally listen to Long Covid Scotland after three years of campaigning and give those suffering the support they so desperately need.
You can find out more about the excellent work that Long Covid Scotland do here
New figures show close to a third of pupils in Scotland are persistently absent from school, rising to more than 50 per cent in some areas. The official statistics for 2022/23 reveal the true scale of the attendance crisis that has emerged since schools were closed during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
These figures also confirmed there were now more than 1000 fewer teachers than when the SNP came to power in 2007, and 273 fewer schools, despite pupil numbers rising in the period.
These highly concerning statistics expose how many pupils have been abandoned on the SNP’s watch.
“We know the best place for most children to learn is in the classroom so for one in three pupils to be missing so much time in that environment is deeply alarming. While the SNP insist education is their number one priority, their record is one of persistent failure.”
You can read more here
It was a pleasure to meet with The Scottish Fishermen's Federation when they were in Parliament last week and sign their #PrideInOurSeas pledge.
The fishing industry is vital to the North East of Scotland, and it was great to chat about the fantastic work the SFF is doing to protect the sector and also to offer my full support in their fight against central belt focused policymaking from the SNP/Green Government.
The Scottish Government looks set to grant additional powers to the SSPCA in their latest bill, the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill. This grants the SSPCA extra powers to investigate wildlife crime. I asked the Scottish Government whether rural communities in the North East can still expect the police to follow up on a report of wildlife crime, and what research they have done on the impact of outsourcing policing.
Needless to say, the response I received did not answer the question.
You can watch the exchange here
It has been fantastic to be out and about in the North East delivering my annual report and speaking to local residents about the issues that matter to them.
If you have yet to receive one, and wish to read what I have been doing to best represent you in 2023, then please follow the link here
It is always a pleasure to visit Camphill School and see the brilliant work they do to support children and young people in Aberdee and beyond.
Camphill have recently launched a fundraising campaign for their new inclusive Outdoor Sensory Adventure and Learning Playground. The school recently received a fantastic funding boost of £250,975 from the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund.
I had the privilege of presenting the motion I tabled to mark their efforts, a look at the proposed plans and, the site itself where the new playground will be built.
You can read the motion I tabled in full here
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