Press statement regarding Living Wage debate at Full Council on Thursday 4th December

At a full Comhairle meeting on Thursday evening SNP Councillors Gordon Murray and Rae Mackenzie proposed an amendment that the Comhairle backdated the introduction of the Living Wage for the Comhairle's lowest paid employees to 2013. This move was however defeated by 20 votes to 7. The remaining four Councillors were absent from the meeting.

New flag for the Western Isles

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.

An island Living Wage - the campaign continues

The campaign for an Island Living Wage by the SNP and the unions took a very positive step this week when the political administration of the Western Isles Council revealed in a press statement that they would be recommending payment of the Living Wage and for it to be backdated from March 2013.

Kenny Macaskill leaves policing on the islands in good nick!

A full complement of staff and officers applying to move families and settle here to work was the message given by Chief Inspector Gordon Macleod at Environment and Protective Services meeting at the Western Isles Council last week.

Island Minister appointed

The Scottish Government have appointed Derek Mackay MSP as the first ever Islands Minister. This is a welcomed commitment to the islands and demonstrates the high importance that the Scottish islands are to the Scottish Government.

Derek Mackay is well known to the three island councils with his extensive work on the Our Islands Our Future campaign and the installation of an Islands minister was one of the commitments made during that campaign called Empowering Scottish Islands.

SNP Councillor Gordon Murray stated: "This is an excellent new ministerial post that shows the Scottish Government's commitment to the Western Isles..

We hope that the Western Isles Council will warmly welcome the new post and also the new minister in this series of meetings. "

Campaign for an Island Living Wage continues

The Western Isles Council's political administration is at odds over a living wage for the poorest paid employees.

Pensions and the legacy of a No vote

It is sad to see Westminster treat pensioners so badly as the UK State pension is now the lowest in the developed world.

An open letter to Angus Campbell regarding electricity prices

Dear Angus,

 

Please can I ask if there has been any partnership or collaborative working between three islands councils and highland council with regards to the pricing differential of supplying electricity to the Highlands and Islands applied by SSE.

 

If not, can I urge such an initiative to put forward a case on behalf of every household in the Highlands and Islands by each local authority and for this to be prioritised as a matter of urgency.

 

Fuel poverty levels in the outer Hebrides are at an unacceptable level and lowering the costs of electricity would be a step in the right direction in addressing the problem,

 

I look forward to hearing from you,

 

Best wishes,

Gordon

 

Is this a council decision or just the appearance of one?

March 2013

 

Transportation Committee of 20 March 2013 resolved to note that… the three bus service contracts serving Laxdale School and the Nicolson Institute shall not be tendered after April 2014 unless all required road safety and traffic management improvements have been implemented.

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.

Statement from Western Isles Council SNP Group on new ferry

The Western Isles Council SNP Group welcomes news of the investment in a new ferry for the Tarbert/Lochmaddy/Lochmaddy triangle.

Open letter to Derek Mackay regarding Uist turbines

In light of the recent decision by the Scottish Government minister Derek Mackay, Western Isles Council SNP Group leader councillor Donald Manford has written the minister highlighting the implications and consequences of his decision and to seek a way forward....

Open letter to Angus Campbell regarding the Living Wage

 Dear Angus,

At the last Budget Setting meetings in February this year, the SNP Group were delighted that your administration agreed with us that the Living Wage should be implemented.

Strengthening Local Democracy

SNP councillor for Stornoway North Gordon Murray welcomed the Comhairle's openness to devolving more powers from the local authority to communities.

Energy, ESCo and the Economy of the Hebrides part 2

At the recent committee series ending 2nd October 2014, there was a welcome discussion on the Energy Supply Company through a report presented to the Sustainable Development Committee. A concept which the SNP Group have been pushing the council to take control of the swathes of potential renewable energy and generate clean electricity at huge discounts for every household in the Outer Hebrides.

Laxdale buses - an open letter to Angus Campbell

Dear Angus,

I am writing this email on the back of correspondence I have had from very disappointed parents regarding the changes in school transport provision for children from the Bakers Road / Benside area to the Nicolson institute.

Changes of the bus routes had only been notified to parents late last week just before the term starts adding to the anxiety of some of the parents, why it took so long has not been explained

According to the minute of the Education Committee meeting of April 15 Item 20 :

The Report stated that the Comhairle agreed in March 2013, as part of the implementation of the Budget Strategy 2013-2015 to introduce a revised Home to School Travel Policy and, specifically, the discontinuation of three school bus contracts serving Laxdale Primary, and The Nicolson Institute, subject to all required road safety and traffic management improvements being implemented.

The decision of council is unambiguous that no changes would be made until all road safety measures were in place. This has not happened and yet, the bus changes have taken place. As a local councillor the fact that the walking route for children was to be made safe was of great comfort especially to parents. 

I have checked the records and there is no amendment to this decision and therefore, I am at a loss where a decision can be overturned without going through the committee first. I have copied the chair and vice chair of Audit and Scrutiny into this email regarding this context.

Why has your administration not enacted the minute of the council meeting referenced above thus causing anxiety and distress to parents and children as well as placing the children in a dangerous position.

I would urge you to divert the buses that have capacity for Bakers Road/Benside Nicolson Institute students up round the aforementioned loop and also ensure that there is a bus going through Newvalley and Marybank until a time that the roads and walking routes are deemed safe to walk and that the necessary work is done.

I look forward to hearing from you,





Yours sincerely,

Gordon Murray 

Our Islands Our Future ....where is the UK Government?

It is now over a month since the partnership between the Scottish Government and the three island councils unveiled the final results of the Our Islands Our Future project. 

Gap between labour and socialism widens as labour praise tories

 It is a sad day when the Labour Party are praising a Tory pensions and welfare system that is being dismantled before our eyes, so says Bob Thompson, former Labour chairman states-

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.

Top Unison official and Labour member says Yes to a fairer Scotland

One of Scotland’s top union officials will today declare his support for a Yes vote in September's independence referendum.

Yes vote guarantees 100% crown estate revenues to western isles

Today saw the launch of the prospectus for Our Islands Our Future and the culmination of the hard work done by the three island council leaders and Derek Mackay MSP, Scottish Minister for Local Government and Planning in the Scottish government.

SNP Councillor John A.  Maciver, present at the launch of the prospectus, was delighted with the announcement from the First Minister that 100% of Crown Estates revenue would be retained in our Islands.

"This is fantastic news. We had hoped for 80% but to get 100% is excellent. This would mean that after a YES vote in the referendum, income from our coastlines such as our huge marine renewable energy potential will be kept in the islands rather than going down to UK Treasury, which happens at present.

"Only a Yes vote in September will allow us to reap all the benefits of our vast resources."

SNP Group leader fights for the future of renewable energy on the islands

Cllr Donald Manford, SNP

Eoligarry, Isle of Barra.

Cllr Angus Campbell

Leader, CnES

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

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.

SNP protect Living Wage

Western Isles SNP were successful last Thursday in protecting the Living Wage.

Trade Union funding restored

The SNP Group at the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar welcomed another u-turn by the ruling council administration who restored funding to the trade unions on Thursday.

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.

Fuel poverty in the Outer Hebrides - the worst in Western Europe

I think since I joined the council two years ago, I had not seen such shocking statistics as I did today when a summary of the Western Isles Fuel Poverty survey was presented to the Environment and Protective Services Committee to which I am a member.

Comhairle Transport Disconnect

Travel through the Comhairle nan Eileen Siar, local government area, is now more "cost-effective" when routed through Glasgow.

Reaction to labour moving towards YES

I warmly welcome the news in the past week from the poll in the Daily Record that shows 25% of Labour voters are now planning to vote Yes in the referendum.

Blue labour quotes

"Scotland cannot be the only something for nothing country in the world,"

“Even if the SNP was right and there was a grand, great thing at the end of therainbow for the SNP and its debate for independence, I would still be against it.

If the Scottish people are going to be better off economically and so on, I would still be against breaking away from the Union.“

“Whether one likes it or not, it is in the interests of the unionists to lower the tone.” 

“There is no point funding free care for the elderly when half the people in the poorest parts of Scotland do not live long enough to take advantage.” 

“Every time your granny or your uncle or your auntie came up here they’d have to get currency in order to come and visit you.” 

“I think it is, in a sense, fraudulent to give the impression that if there is a No vote, Scotland will still get greater powers. The prospect of further powers is ridiculous.” 

“I’m not saying that, y’know, we can’t develop our own welfare system, I’m saying we shouldn’t develop our own welfare system.” 

Red labour quotes

"The rich have got richer, the poor much poorer. To think you can tackle the problems of the poor, while leaving untouched this vast concentration of wealth in the hands of a tiny elite, is disingenuous."

"The Treaty of Union meant our parliament went south - no mechanism whereby the Scots could be protected in their unitary state against the sheer numbers of their much bigger neighbour. Scots are disenfranchised with policies that are foreign and by a philosophy that has been rejected time and time again."

 "A Yes vote is the only way to ensure that Scotland gets the kind of government that the people of Scotland choose and that we get rid of a Westminster system that is out of touch with Scottish opinion, priorities and values and imposes such dreadful policies such as the Bedroom Tax."

"Independence would mean that an independent Scottish Labour Party would be able to respond more readily to the needs and aspirations of the people of Scotland. That would help to bring about policies based on Labour's traditional values of social justice and solidarity."

"But this referendum is not about the future of the SNP - it is about the future of Scotland. I will be joining with many old comrades in Labour for Independence to encourage the 800,000 plus Scots who voted Labour in the 2010 General Election to vote Yes on 18 September.”

“When the Tories are attacking the poorest in society, it’s pretty difficult to sit with them and to argue for a progressive Scotland.” 

Red labour for YES - Blue labour for NO

ONLY WAY TO SECURE MORE POWERS IS WITH A YES VOTE

Hebrides Through Flights only via Glasgow

It has emerged that Western Isles Council, Leader  Cllr Angus Campbell, has instructed its Chief Executive to investigate if Public Officials have travelled from Stornoway to Barra via flights through Glasgow.

Traffic warden saved

The Western Isles council SNP Group are delighted to hear that Police Scotland have decided to listen to their case for retaining the traffic warden. 

Letter to chief executive regarding Lews Castle

Dear Mr Burr,

We write to you in regard of the recent issue concerning the Lews Castle and its purpose in terms of its use.

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.

Isolating Islands

Isolating Islands.

My sincere thanks for your tireless efforts to reintroduce the air service.  My thanks also for highlighting the controversial but all too real issue of isolating island communities.  Of course it is true that people do not wish to be where they are not welcome but that is not true of the Hebrides, the council attitude does not reflect the view of the people of the Western Isles on this issue.  

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.

Bid to save Barra flights by SNP thwarted by Council Administration

A move by SNP councillors John A Maciver and Kenny Macleod to try and get the Comhairle to reinstate the Barra-Benbecula air service was blocked by the Council administration on Thursday.

Budget 2014 - SNP Group get the Living Wage for the Outer Hebrides

The SNP group on Comhairle nan Eilean Siar announced their budget amendments on the Wednesday forcing the Council Administration to include the Living Wage in their budget plans on the Thursday.

Budget 2014 - SNP group attempt to save specialist teachers

Thursday afternoon saw the council administration finally cut the specialist teachers involvement in the Primary schools. Here is SNP Councillor Gordon Murray's opening regarding the specialist teachers :

SNP draft budget to amend proposed council administration budget

SNP amendments

1)Not to implement the following:

C35 Laxdale School Transport reduction of contracts servicing Laxdale school

C78 reduction of the provision of Itinerant teachers

C77 reduction of Community Transport

C63 reduction of Trade Union Representation


2) To introduce the Living Wage

3) Street  lights to continue until midnight in winter

4) To fund the changes detailed from balances already identified by members

Proposed : Gordon Murray
Seconded : Rae Mackenzie

BBC impartiality questioned?

In the cut and thrust world of politics, there is always the pressurising for sympathetic media coverage. Parties remonstrate and demand fairness, hint at impartiality to swing the TV programme their way (Iain Davidson and Newsnat programme).

In the referendum campaign, the campaign for the greatest decision ever facing the Scottish people, the University of the West of Scotland studied BBC Scotland and STV on their coverage of the referendum in terms of favourable stories for the YES or No Campaign. This was held over a year.

It came as no surprise to see both channels had favoured the No campaign according to the report. We wonder how both channels are going to balance this up by September?

The SNP Group on the Comhairle welcome this report given the influence of the BBC and STV in this campaign and thoughts turn to Radio nan Gaidheal's own coverage at the Comhairle. Is RnG impartial and reflecting the views of the opposition group, SNP, as much as the Independent / Labour administration on the issues that affect the Hebrides. Are SNP group members getting the same amount of airtime on the radio as members of the coalition at the Comhairle - are the opposition group able to respond with their view on local decision making. We have our own views on that..........

SNP Group fights for Southern Isles renewable energy projects

SNP Councillor Donald Manford has written to the Scottish Government for local government and planning to voice and record his most serious concerns about the interaction currently between the Scottish Planning System and the Ministry of Defence.

Hidden energy costs Scots have to pay to preserve English scenery

The following bulletin is an item regarding the path of a proposed route for grid electricity pylons in the South of England.

Crofting and why a YES vote is vital

2013 was the year that saw an incredible turn of events whereby the Westminster Government denied Scottish farmers and crofters and amount of 230 million Euros.