SNP Group say action is needed now to assist island communities

 Action must be taken now to assist island communities to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, say the SNP Group at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

The Group successfully added five recommendations to the Council’s Corporate and Political Strategy at last week’s meeting of full council.

The recommendations put forward by the SNP Group included a full review of the Energy Strategy; a poverty needs assessment Post-Covid to direct future actions against poverty by December 2020; and a cost/benefit analysis on establishing research and development hubs in the Outer Hebrides.

Group Leader Cllr Gordon Murray said the Corporate Strategy could only be meaningful if the document was backed up by action.

He said: “A corporate strategy can only be a meaningful document if it is backed up by action. It is futile without commitment to its implementation.

"We now need to not only implement the corporate strategy but also measure its impact on the local economy. We need to ensure that the council enhances the local economy and does not shrink it with its actions."

"We want to encourage more and more employers to pay the Living Wage during this time. In-work poverty is a real concern and our recommendation for a poverty needs-assessment analysis by December 2020 will advise us on any direct intervention the council needs to take to prevent our people slipping into poverty."

"A new-normal is the new cliché but we have to look at different ways of working. It is great to see the council finally agree with our campaign for flexible working and our staff have really responded to working at home or in their locality. This will have a transformational effect on our communities and especially localism. "

"We want to see improved employment growth and by growing certain businesses we would like to see partnership working between the local college and businesses in reducing skill shortages. our Business Gateway has such an important role to play and the council needs to support them to ensure not only an increase in business start-ups but also improve the 3 year business survival rates."

"We would also like to see an increase in jobs in social enterprises and hope to see developments arising from crown estate monies and other initiatives."

"Our recommendation for a cost/benefit analysis on the potential for research and development / science hubs. In order to develop a dynamic competitive knowledge industry locally, the knowledge triangle (research, education and innovation) must be central to that strategy. This has the potential to improve the demographic balance of people by age in employment.

 “These additional recommendations when implemented will allow us to target resources in helping people who have been badly affected by the pandemic. It also allows us to review where we are in terms of our Energy resources and localism. 

“I am particularly pleased that the Comhairle agreed with the group on a costs/benefit analysis on research and development hubs which have great potential in bringing high-tech, highly paid jobs to the island and bringing millions into the local economy.

Council accept SNP recommendations on political prioirities

Comhairle nan Eilean SNP Group successfully added five recommendations to the council's political strategy at Friday's full council.

Primary question to be asked at full council regarding Comhairle actions on crofting

 The Comhairle convened on 3rd March 2020 agreed to suspend any ongoing action in respect of taking croft property into consideration when making financial assessments for care charges until such time as the Comhairle had considered its policy position. Notwithstanding the position presented to Councillors on 6th May 2020 this policy position to suspend ongoing action is still extant. Why therefore is Comhairle policy, as set by Councillors on 3rd March 2020 being disregarded when the Scottish Government has confirmed that each local authority must set its particular policy on this issue of taking property belonging to third parties into any computation of assets belonging to any persons in care.

Crofting and flexible working - thoughts on the future of crofting

Through the lockdown, people have had to reflect and review relationships, career and their place in society.

Questions submitted for next full council on crofting

 1) Can you advise what Comhairle policy is with regard to croft tenancies as statutory conditions regulated private heritable tenancy agreements between individuals and their landlord?

2) Can you advise what Comhairle policy is with regard to the permanent improvements to land belonging to the landlord on land covered by the statutory servitude of crofting tenure whereby the permanent improvements belong to the landlord but are in heritable tenancy to the tenant?

3)Can you advise what Comhairle policy Is to crofter intestacy, bequest of croft, the confirmation of the Comhairle as executor whilst seeking to be the principal beneficiary, and regard given to or disregard to Court Ruling in matters of guardianship and power of attorney?

4) Can you advise what Comhairle policy Is whereby the statutory provisions of the Crofter (Scotland) Act 1993 as amended by the Crofting Reform etc Act 2007, the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Crofting (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2013 are used for the current practice of selling permanent improvements to croft land and taking monies for assignation of crofts?

5) Can you advise the number of permanent improvements that have been affected by this Comhairle per year since commencement of the current policy, and the amount of money ingathered by the Comhairle per year since the commencement of this current policy?

6) can you advise the number of cases currently operational concerning the Comhairle recovering monies from assignation of tenancies, selling off permanent improvements belonging to third parties, and, the cases where the Comhairle seeks to be appointed executor of legacies in cases of intestate estate of deceased crofters with a view to being beneficiary, and, the number of cases where the Comhairle is the Care Guardian and Financial Guardian?

Panic stations (or Don’t panic, don’t panic!)

 When Rishi Sunak announced £30 Billion in his emergency  Summer Statement, the Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes immediately said that the consequentials for Scotland actually amounted to tens of millions not the “ hundreds of millions” (some said £800million) claimed by the Tories. She was immediately at the end of a barrage of accusations from the Scottish Tories,MPs, MSPs and supporters who even accused  her of being “ dishonest, failing to be open and factual when talking about our nations finances”.

One week later the Institute for Fiscal Studies ( IFS) confirmed that she had been right all along.
Then Boris arrived on Thursday for his flying visit, apparently in panic mode, to claim “that the Union has never been stronger”. ( With the polls showing the Yes support is now at 54%!).