Big well done to HERAG and to fellow colleagues

Last time I wrote for the Hamilton Advertiser I said ‘Here comes summer’ and that I hoped someone had informed the weather. Clearly someone was reading the Hamilton Advertiser. What wonderful weather we have had!

Of course, it’s not just been the weather that has changed recently. For those that may have missed it, there has also been a change in our Cabinet and Ministers of this SNP Scottish Government. I want to begin my column therefore by congratulating two of my fellow colleagues.

Christina Mckelvie, the MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse has just been appointed by the First Minister as the Minister for Older People and Equalities. It comes after her work as a backbench MSP for the last decade, and her impressive work as Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee of the Scottish Parliament.

And Clare Haughey, the MSP for Rutherglen, is a qualified mental health nurse who has an honorary nursing contract, and has been appointed as Scotland’s Mental Health Minister. Clare is an exceptional and compassionate individual. I am delighted that she will be leading on an area that she is so passionate about.

Both Clare and Christina will be first-class ministers and I very much look forward to continuing to work with them.

Equally, I wish to pay tribute to the many ministers who have left Government. It is no easy task – but each have served Scotland and their communities well. In particular, Shona Robison our former Health Secretary who, despite having the most challenging of years, continued to deliver on our NHS, including her final act which was to offer a nine per cent increase to our truly amazing NHS staff. I thank Shona and all of our ministers for their hard work and service.

Of course, with that our parliament has gone into the summer recess and that means that I will have the opportunity to get out and about in the constituency even more. Already, I am making plans which will include visits to many amazing local organisations who have in the past year received National Lottery Funding Awards, to hear about their positive work to make a difference in the communities which I represent; as well as, of course, local businesses who are the lifeblood of many of our towns and villages today.

Since I last wrote here, I have also had the chance to be out at many events across the constituency to celebrate the achievements of our children and young people. From Hamilton Grammar to Holy Family Primary in another area of the constituency, I have been blown away by the immense achievements not only academically, but in terms of sport and wider achievement of our young people. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all of our amazing teachers and staff in schools and learning establishments across, not only Uddingston and Bellshill but across the country. They do incredible work and they rightly deserve our thanks.

I want to pay another thank you in this column; and that is to the Hamilton Energy Recovery Action