We need to trust each other

When times are hard and communities are facing uncertainty and adversity trust is crucial: Trust in those we have elected to lead us, trust in our public services, trust in each other. We need a high degree of confidence that every one of us will do the right thing to the best of their ability.

I don’t want to sound po-faced here, but that trust in each other is what keeps us together, and there is disappointment, rising to anger at times, when some of that breaks down. So, yes, it was disappointing this weekend to read reports and see on television that the slight easing of restrictions in relation to leisure and social interaction, encouraged some people, particularly those who jumped in their cars and drove for miles and miles, to act as if everything was back to normal. It’s not – if anyone thought that they were behaving as normal then they were doing something wrong!

We all know from the plethora of information we have had that there are some groups generally much more in danger from Covid-19 than others. We all know that physical distancing, good hand hygiene, self-isolation and restriction of travel creates the best possible barrier.

We all know too that for some this is much harder than for others, whether it be at work or at home.

Both the Scottish Government and South Lanarkshire Council have recognised this when it comes to the Traveller community.

It was good to see the News report that travellers’sites across South Lanarkshire are being given vital support during the Covid-19 lockdown from the council and the NHS, to assist the community to stay safe.

The Scottish Government is funding emergency help where required. Everyone is working together – site residents along with housing and education officers and of course health service staff.

During the first term of our Parliament – all these years ago – I was involved in an Inquiry into the lives of travellers in Scotland. What a learning that was! I learned about traveller tradition, history and rich culture. I also learned about the discrimination faced by the travelling community. There was no real action taken back then and a recent Parliamentary Inquiry found that not much had changed.

The traveller community faces health discrimination with lower life expectancy, higher rates of infant mortality, maternal death and still birth. The Inquiry found employment discrimination. It found education discrimination. It found accommodation discrimination with designated sites falling short on issues of site safety, facilities and security. The Scottish Human Rights Commission described the stereotyping and hostility towards travellers as the “last bastion of respectable racism”.

Shocking! Hardly surprising perhaps when you consider the negative portrayal of this community by some of the media. I am so pleased that our own local newspaper reported fairly and factually that those we trust to do the right thing by all of us, are doing the right thing by our travellers. The commitment is ongoing – the Scottish Government and our local authorities now have a funded Action Plan in place to really tackle the issues faced by travellers, not only during this crisis, but beyond. Back to those of us settled folk and how we’re dealing with lockdown and easing of restrictions I did hear a few complaints from East Kilbride residents over the weekend that some gatherings here were clearly not in the spirit of the First Minister’s guidelines. I am sure though that the vast majority of East Kilbridians continue to trust each other to make sure that we contain this terrible virus as best we can.

Virtual council meetings are being piloted in South Lanarkshire to allow councillors to get back to representing their constituents directly.

Already, two meetings have been held via Microsoft Teams, however members of the public will not be able to view the proceedings.

Since March, all council meetings have been cancelled in response to the coronavirus pandemic with emergency delegated powers used to keep council business moving.

South Lanarkshire Council committed to reviewing the situation at the end of May and they have now said “a small number” will be taken online before the summer recess in July.

On Monday morning, June 1, councillors from North and South Lanarkshire held a meeting of the Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board via Microsoft Teams before South Lanarkshire’s Planning Local Review Body met on the same platform in the afternoon.

The council have said there are no plans to broadcast the virtual meetings but the papers will still be available a week prior as normal.

Chief executive of South Lanarkshire Council, Cleland Sneddon, said: “We have agreed with political group leaders that the council will operate a small number of virtual committee and forum meetings using Microsoft Teams during June.

“This is as a pilot approach to enable elected members to participate directly in the democratic process.

“It will include a full planning committee to be held on June 23.

“At this point there are no proposals to broadcast the meetings.

“However, the agenda and papers will be published as normal in advance of the meetings and any decisions reached will also be published through the usual council channels.”

Meetings which are not held virtually will still be decided through the use of emergency delegated powers by the chief executive in consultation with the five political group leaders before the situation is again reviewed at the end of July.

Calls for council meetings in South Lanarkshire to resume were made by Liberal Democrat councillors last month.

The group wanted to see “local democracy

East Kilbride’s MP is urging the government to bring forward promised action to protect access to cash as part of the COVID-19 recovery plans.

The ongoing pandemic has brought this into stark realisation as many need others to food shop on their behalf while they self-isolate and as millions of people across the UK lose out on income.

Despite this, Dr Lisa Cameron MP says cash infrastructure is at risk of collapse as the pandemic has made what was already a fragile ATM structure almost unsustainable as people are unable to access cash in their usual way.

Ms Cameron has joined a cross-party group of 37 MPs who have added their voice to calls from consumer groups and business organisations, urging the Chancellor to reverse the cuts made to the fee paid by banks to ensure their customers can access their own cash (known as the interchange fee). restored” as the Scottish Government began to scale back lockdown measures from Friday (May 29).

Since then, powers have been delegated to chief executive Cleland Sneddon under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and the council’s standing orders to ensure urgent decisions can be made and council business continue.

All decisions made under the scheme of delegation were taken by Mr Sneddon in consultation with the five political group leaders.

At the time, it was seen as the only way councils could immediately respond to the crisis.

However, the Lib Dem group were keen to have decision making return to the elected representatives.

Councillor Fiona Dryburgh (East Kilbride South) explained: “The need for decisions to be made by

These cuts have saved banks £200 million since July 2018.

Meanwhile, 10,500 free-to-use cash machines, around 19 per cent of the entire free network, have already disappeared across the UK in the past two years.

Based on NoteMachine data, the East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow constituency in South Lanarkshire has seen a 62.5 per cent drop-off in cash machine withdrawals as a result of ATMs converting from free to pay to use and the impact of COVID-19.

Dr Cameron said:“It is imperative that free cash machines are available locally so that people are not having to pay for access to their own money.” elected councillors is becoming more and more clear as the weeks go on.

“Sadly, care homes throughout Scotland have been hit by tragedy on an unthinkable scale.

“Residents, service-users, their families and care workers all need to know there is proper, transparent scrutiny of decision-making that affects their lives and wellbeing.

“There will have to be massive changes to how schools operate before pupils return in August.

“Our young people, their parents and school staff all deserve to know decisions that affect them are made by councillors who have to justify ourselves to the public.

“This crisis has an enormous impact on our communities. That is not going to stop any time soon, so elected councillors have to be making the decisions that will get us through.”