Life is returning to normal, so stay safe
As lockdown eases further and we are beginning to get back to some sort of normality, we must keep following the Scottish Government’s advice going forward.
I’m glad to say it certainly seems like the majority of people are doing so. It is clear that everyone is feeling that sense of community and keeping each other safe.
As more shops begin to open and businesses open their shutters for the first time in months, I would urge people to remember that community spirit and buy locally, it is important that we support local business at this time.
I was reminded this week that it has been five years since I delivered my maiden speech in the House of Commons.
A lot has happened in politics in those five years. We have had three Prime Ministers, three Labour leaders, two General Elections and one catastrophic Brexit.
What hasn’t changed in this time is the disastrous policies that the UK Government continually inflicts on the most vulnerable people in Paisley and Renfrewshire South.
Food bank usage continues to rise year on year and has become so integrated in our society that it is seen as completely normal now for some.
We must never let it become normal, the global pandemic has left many people with no job security or support and they will now be experiencing for the first time ever the UK Government’s flagship disaster, Universal Credit.
Many people will have had to use the food bank who could never have imagined this until a couple of months ago.
Renfrewshire Foodbank are feeling the impact of this so, if you can, please donate. It is truly appreciated as they rely on our donations to continue operating.
Austerity is a choice. The UK Government can pick and choose when to spend billions and when to neglect people.
What use have those multibillionpound nuclear weapons we have sitting up the road on the Clyde been in the fight against Covid–19?
Those on benefits and low wages have felt the brunt of the UK Government’s spending priorities for over a decade now and the global pandemic has meant more people are now relying on the benefit system than ever before.
Anybody can find themselves in a situation that they need financial assistance and support and Covid–19 has shone a light on this.
Our modern economy is an economy of uncertainty and insecurity. I do welcome the support that the UK Government have provided for people through various coronavirus schemes, but many have been left behind and the UK Government completely refuses to acknowledge this.
The utter arrogance that is being shown by the Tories as they pat themselves on the back while completely neglecting millions of people who are now facing the harsh reality of claiming benefits and having to go to the food bank for assistance will not be forgotten.
In the five years since my maiden speech things have only gotten worse for vulnerable groups in Renfrewshire at the hands of an ever-increasing radical right UK Government.
The Labour opposition that is supposed to hold them to account simply just isn’t good enough and hasn’t been for a very long time. Recent polls show support for Scottish independence is at an all-time high and I am really not surprised.