Politics in focus Margaret Mitchell Brilliant BBs providing a real positive impact

With Conservative Central Scotland list MSP

As part of the Scottish Parliament election campaign, the Boys’ Brigade’s Lanarkshire District branch invited myself and other candidates to take part in a hustings at the South Campus Cairnlea Parish Church in Airdrie.

This was arranged as part of an ‘Active Citizenship’ session for young people about to complete the Queen’s Badge, which is the highest award that can be gained by a member of the Boys’ Brigade.

In order to be awarded the badge, a young person must complete a number of activities including providing a voluntary service to their community, developing interests in the skills, physical and expedition categories and participating in skills-based training.

The Active Citizen Session itself started with a warm up activity where the young people had a number of questions which required a yes, no or undecided response and which started with the frivolous and then got more intense, covering issues such as assisted suicide.

Thereafter, the young people were divided into groups and each candidate was given the opportunity to make a two-tothree minute individual pitch to a group and answer their questions before moving on to the next group.

The group members asked informed and insightful questions about how we would shape the future of the Scottish Parliament and the devolved Scottish Government. In other words, the candidates were well and truly put through their paces!

It was, therefore, a huge privilege, after the election, to be invited back to attend the Boys’ Brigade’s Lanarkshire District Fellowship presentation ceremony last month when a record 89 young people received the Queen’s Badge certificate.

Each ‘Queen’s Man’ was a credit to their families, Brigade leaders and themselves and proof positive that the adverse stories about our young people that make the headlines are the exception rather than the rule.

Following fast on the Scottish Parliamentary elections was last month’s UK wide Referendum vote on Britain’s membership of the EU.

On June 23, the British people exercised their democratic right and voted to leave the European Union.

The turnout of 72.2 per cent of registered voters meant the target to achieve a majority was 16.8 million votes. The “leave” vote was in fact 17.4 million.

Since then, because a majority in Scotland voted to remain in the EU, the SNP has attempted to cry foul and threaten a second independence referendum.

However, in the 2014 referendum, a majority of people in Scotland voted to remain as part of the UK.

The 1.6 million votes cast in Scotland in the EU referendum in favour of remain do not overturn the two million votes in support of Scotland remaining part of the UK.

Furthermore, the SNP chose to ignore that the wording on the ballot paper stated: “Should the UK leave/remain part of the European Union.”

Every vote had equal weight regardless of where in the UK it was cast. Significantly, the one million people in Scotland who voted in favour of “leave” in the EU Referendum played a pivotal role in securing the majority for “leave”.

With the new Prime Minister now in place the Westminster, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh governments must work together to grasp the opportunities which the “leave” vote presents in an effort to secure the most advantageous withdrawal settlement which is in the best interests of citizens in every part of the UK.

Each ‘Queen’s Man’ was a credit to their families, Brigade leaders and themselves