Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
TALKING POLITICS Time to listen to the people and hear their dissatisfaction
It is clear that people are worried about the future of Monklands Hospital, cuts to local bus services and cuts to GP services.
I also visited the police area control centre – this deals with calls from the public on a vast range of issues. Despite the many challenges facing Police Scotland, I met locally a well-motivated and dedicated team of officers and the civilian staff supporting them.
It was a real honour to give the keynote address at the Voice of Experience Forum’s AGM. Based in Airdrie, this forum supports older people in putting across their views about local and national services.
No-one is immune from the cuts – and there was considerable anger about the removal of automatic free TV licences for those over 75. The Tories promised to keep this in their manifesto only two years ago – yet they are now allowing it to be cut.
When you consider that many older people do not receive their proper entitlements – for example, across Scotland £263 million is not paid out in pension credit each year that people are entitled to. It is no wonder we are seeing a rise in pensioner poverty.
The Voice of Experience Forum is a great asset to our older generation and is something I’d like to see across Scotland.
North Lanarkshire Council has had its budget cut by £250m over the past decade because of decisions taken by the SNP government at Holyrood.
Despite the level of cuts, the Labour administration has sought to protect the most vulnerable with innovative policies, including Club 365. This provides children and young people with a daily meal and supports them to participate in social activities and build friendships.
It was heartening to visit a local community centre and see Club 365 in action. Councils are often criticised but we should also praise and the positive work they do – in this case supporting families and reducing food poverty.
I am delighted to have been chosen to be Scottish Labour’s candidate for the Airdrie & Shotts constituency for the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021.
There is nowhere else I would rather stand than here – and I will put forward a positive case for supporting Scottish Labour’s vision.
This is about building a society where young people have decent and secure employment, older people have dignity in retirement, communities have a greater say and more power to protect their local environment and everyone can access health and medical care locally, free, at the point of need.
I will continue to make it a priority to stop the Scottish Government from going ahead with their plans to close the current Monklands Hospital and build a new hospital out of town.
Thousands of people signed my petition asking the Scottish Government to listen to their concerns and it is unacceptable that the SNP have ignored their voice.
I will take the fight directly to the Scottish Government and challenge them to reverse their bad decision.