Letter from Cllr Macmillan And Cllr Donald Manford on Uist Dentistry and labour strategy

Sirs,

The Western Isles NHS decision on Uist dental closures is the tactical part of the strategic decision by Western Isles NHS to close Uist Hospital by locating the dental chairs in the operating theatre suite.

Crime in the Western Isles falls by 60%

SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, has today welcomed new figures that show crime in the islands has dropped by a staggering 60% since 2007. The statistics also showed that recorded crime in Scotland has reached a 41 year low.

Fighting Poverty in the Western Isles

The Western Isles council SNP group extended an invitation to Councillor Angus McCormack in his role as Chair of the Western isles Poverty Action Group to hear the work Angus Brendan Macneil MP has been doing to address the island’s poverty issues and to support our future campaign.

Labour machinery within western isles council

Western Isles Council on 21st April confirmed it considered £50 Million required to be saved over the next 5 years reading from the Manifesto of Westminster austerity parties of Labour and Conservative.  On 28th April it issued a press release stating £15million may be the order of magnitude; avoiding any reference whatever to its earlier prediction.

SNP: LABOUR OPPOSITION TO LOCHMADDY FERRY IMPROVEMENT CONDEMNED

Statement from Cllr Donald Manford (SNP):

“Westminster Labour candidate Alasdair Morrison’s unenviable reputation for the crass and absurd gets even more outrageous.  Mr Morrison’s claim that urgently needed increased ferry capacity for Lochmaddy should not happen is as puerile as it is objectionable.

“The  Lochmaddy-Uig route is the shortest, most sheltered and least disrupted route there is and is critically needed, especially at this time of year.  It is little wonder that Lochmaddy and with it all communities between Berneray and Vatersay have been held back, while the ridiculous views of Mr Morrison and his Labour cohort held sway.

“Out of political desperation Mr Morrison is trying to resurrect his proposals to reduce Western Isles ferry services to three routes.  These proposals were objected to in 2001 when as Tourism Minister he axed the Mallaig service and ended in 2006 when the people of Scotland ousted his  Labour administration from Edinburgh.  Since then ferry routes have increased as have the number of people traveling to our islands.  Ferries must increase to keep pace; it the dinosaur mentality of Labour and Westminster which must be ended, and their loathsome practice of trying to pitch communities against each other must be seen to fail.

“I am delighted that Roslyn MacPherson has courageously committed to securing for Lochmaddy the level of ferry service that it should have.  This will ably compliment the sterling efforts of Neil Beaton and Uisdean Robertson, and will have my full support.”

Labour need to apologise for transport blunders

Councillor Donald Manford :

I note from last week's Guth that Labour representatives have finally admitted that a ferry service in winter to Mallaig is unworkable. We have always been aware that Mallaig is a very dependable destination for vessels smaller than MV Lord of the Isles but, entirely unsuited to large vessels.

Open Letter to Transport Scotland on the Benefits of Shortest Route Services

Dear Mr Laidlaw,

I write relating to the current difficulties being encountered for providing back-up provision for the Stornoway/Ullapool ferry service due to the delay in renewing the much needed link-span at Ullapool.

A lot of manoeuvering in the Stornoway Port Authority

There has been a lot of online heat abut the Stornoway Port Authority in the last number of weeks and months.

Better late than never ......

The Western Isles council SNP group welcome the late arrival of councillor Angus McCormack to a disgraceful issue facing islanders almost a year after Angus Brendan Macneil first raised it in the House of Commons.

Ferry Capacity issues - changed days from the bad old days....

We are noticing that the mere mention of the word "ferry" seems to get a lot of our "independent" councillors into a frenzy and usually heralds a tirade towards the Scottish Government about the lack of capacity on the ferries.

Westminster ,Welfare and Independence

The current "reform" of the Welfare state is one of the most controversial policies in recent years from Westminster. The Tories have embarked on a campaign that scapegoats the poor, the unemployed, the disabled in a bid to make some savings to offset the growing national debt.

Carloway says YES to Scottish Independence

Carloway hosted an Independence referendum last week which gave the Yes Campaign and the No Campaign a chance to debate with a vote at the end.

Truth will prevail

At the last council meeting, 30 councillors voted to give officers the green light to restore the Stornoway/Benbecula flight to 5 days. Nine of these 30 councillors voted (by way of amendment) to include Benbecula/Barra also.

Budget 2014 - Independent Labour administration in the Western Isles moves to the right and cuts union representation

In an absolutely astonishing move by the Western Isles Independent / Labour administration, the union representation was cut to in order to make savings.

Why are new labour and the liberals attacking our fishing!

SNP President Ian Hudghton MEP has today (Tuesday) welcomed the European Parliament's final approval of a reformed Common Fisheries Policy which will return greater control over fisheries to Europe's fishing nations. The reformed CFP allows for decisions to be taken on a regional basis, in contrast to the current one-size-fits all approach. The new law will come into effect on 1st January 2014.

SNP COMMENTS ON KINNOCK’S “REGRET” OVER SQUANDERING OF OIL

DARLING’S FORMER LEADER SAYS “NOT TOO LATE” FOR OIL FUND

SNP WELCOME McCLUSKEY COMMENTS ON REFERENDUM AND GRANGEMOUTH

Comments from the leader of the UK’s largest trade union warming to the case for a Yes vote in the independence referendum have today been welcomed by the SNP.

LABOUR VOTE AGAINST COUNCIL TAX HELP FOR POOREST

LABOUR MSPs VOTE TO INCREASE BILLS BY £75 

SNP Group winning for the Outer Hebrides

Transport infrastructure on the islands got a tremendous boost last week when the Scottish Government announced an investment of £1.9 million in the next financial year to limit the increase for hauliers on the Western Isles and the introduction to a three year winter pilot ferry service stating next month between Loch Boisdale and Mallaig after having listened to the SNP Group on the Comhairle's campaigns.

Move to the right has not helped Johann Lamont

Johann Lamont has been dealt another blow to her leadership after a YouGov poll showed almost half of Labour supporters do not trust her.