I have confidence in John Swinney
BY RENFREWSHIRE SOUTH MSP TOM ARTHUR
I was delighted to see John Swinney elected as leader of the SNP and Scotland’s First Minister this week.
John has shown me tremendous kindness since I joined the Scottish Parliament in 2016, providing counsel and support when required for which I will always be grateful.
Having been a member for many years, I have also been fortunate to campaign alongside John in numerous elections and am confident that his depth of experience will bring success not only for the party I believe in, but also for people across Scotland.
In his leadership acceptance speech, he laid clear his ambition to tackle child poverty, built upon a base of the Scottish Child Payment which is supporting keeping 100,000 children out of poverty – with over 10,000 children in Renfrewshire along with those receiving this payment, totalling over £11 million.
This follows a free baby box provided to all expectant parents before their children arrive, gifting essentials to help allow for the best possible start in life – from clothing to toys, bath accessories to thermometers and links to stories and songs from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, it helps provide nurturing care.
Over 72,000 have been delivered across the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS area, contributing to significantly positive health incomes.
Later on, children will benefit from free university tuition, widening the possibilities open to them and helping them start their working lives without being encumbered by debt.
These are steps that the SNP Scottish Government is already taking to help people across my Renfrewshire South constituency, and the government has committed to continue to do more.
The cost-of-living crisis continues to dominate every aspect of my constituency work, and this Scottish Government will put the challenges that people are facing at the heart of its agenda.
As a minority government, it will also be more important than ever to ensure that we find common ground.
I’m well aware of the challenges faced in trying to find agreement across the benches in Holyrood, but it is possible to do so.
This goes to the heart of politics – and indeed politicians.
Many of us enter politics because we believe that we can make a difference to the lives of people around us.
People are motivated to influence policy because they believe that the choices they can make would make their communities a little bit different.
And this sense must extend wider.
Where we can find agreement for the benefit of people across Scotland it is our duty to do so.
I know that John Swinney is a good, decent, kind man who values integrity and treats everyone he meets with respect and courtesy.
I am excited to see the changes he can make to our political discourse here in Scotland and I will support him as he leads our country and puts his agenda in place to improve the lives of those who live here.
If you would like to get in touch, please email tom. arthur.msp@parliament. scot or call 01505 331990.