Blairgowrie Advertiser

Great start to town festivitie­s during challengin­g time at home and abroad

- Pete Wishart SNP MP FOR PERTH & PERTHSHIRE NORTH

It is hard to believe that Christmas is now just around the corner.

It was fantastic to see Blairgowri­e and Rattray bustling last weekend for the Christmas lights switch-on.

It looked like an excellent turnout, and I am sure it marked a great start to the Christmas festivitie­s for residents.

But, for many, it will be difficult to get into the usual festive spirit this year, in what has been a year full of immense global and domestic challenges.

Double-digit inflation and huge bills are causing anguish for people and businesses up and down the country.

I have received a lot of correspond­ence from small business owners recently about their fears of how their businesses will survive over the winter period.

Small businesses are truly the heart of the UK economy, which is why Small Business Saturday on December 3 is particular­ly vital this year.

Shopping locally is a great way to help out the many fantastic small businesses across Blairgowri­e and Rattray and beyond.

For any readers who are local business owners, I would personally like to thank you for your resilience throughout the many hurdles of the past few years, and I very much hope that the Christmas period brings a well-earned boost in trade.

Since I last wrote for the Blairgowri­e Advertiser, readers will have all seen the

Supreme Court’s ruling on a second Scottish independen­ce referendum.

While I am obviously disappoint­ed by the ruling, I am glad that the people of Scotland finally have confirmati­on that the idea of the UK being a voluntary union is a complete fabricatio­n.

Since the 2014 referendum, Scotland has been battered by deplorable Westminste­r governance which we have vehemently rejected at every turn.

From leaving the EU, to the scandals under Boris Johnson, to the Tory-made cost of living crisis and the disastrous mini-budget ... the list is endless.

We did not vote for any of this chaos, and we have a democratic right to choose our own path, reasserted by the pro-independen­ce majority that was elected to Holyrood last year.

What the ruling shows is that our democratic rights are being blocked by Westminste­r, which proves the case for independen­ce entirely.

The independen­ce movement won’t simply bow down in light of the ruling.

In fact, we are more invigorate­d than ever, as shown by the demonstrat­ions across the country in recent days.

And, as we formulate our next steps, it is worth rememberin­g that, while Westminste­r may have the capacity to postpone our democracy, they will never be able to deny it completely.

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 ?? ?? Busy There was a good turnout at Blairgowri­e and Rattray’s Christmas lights switch-on. Pic: Clare Damodaran
Busy There was a good turnout at Blairgowri­e and Rattray’s Christmas lights switch-on. Pic: Clare Damodaran

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