Local SNP representatives Clare Adamson MSP and Marion Fellows MP are commenting on the news from TATA Steel that 270 jobs are to go at their Scottish plants at Clydebridge and Dalzell. The Dalzell plate rolling works in Motherwell and the Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang will be mothballed as the firm cuts almost 1,200 UK jobs as a response to difficult trading conditions. SNP MSP for Central Scotland Clare Adamson said: “Today’s announcement is obviously deeply concerning for the employees at the site, their families and everyone in the local community and my heart goes out to everyone affected. “Lanarkshire’s steel industry is iconic notRead More →

The Scottish National Party has welcomed reports Labour now intend to vote with the SNP against the UK government’s fiscal charter this week, but have called for absolute clarity from the party and a commitment that all Labour MPs will oppose the charter. Nicola Sturgeon challenged Labour at the weekend to join the SNP in the vote against austerity as she published a set of alternative proposals.  Labour’s shadow Chancellor had previously said Labour would vote for Osborne’s charter. The SNP condemned Labour for considering voting with the Tories – committing to further austerity and unnecessary ideologically driven cuts. SNP Westminster Leader Angus Robertson MPRead More →

NO CORBYN BOUNCE AS LABOUR VOTE CONTINUES TO FALL The SNP has today celebrated wins in six by-elections across Scotland. Overall the SNP won almost 45.9 per cent of the vote across all seven of yesterday’s by-elections – representing a 5.7 per cent swing from Labour. By contrast Labour’s vote fell by nearly 5 per cent. In the Glenrothes West and Kinglassie by-election in Fife, Julie Ford was elected for the SNP with 55.3 per cent of the vote – an increase of 8 per cent since a by-election in the same ward just one month before the 2015 general election. In the Irvine ValleyRead More →

The Refugee Crisis – Scotland’s response attracts U.N. praise Scotland has led the way in highlighting the inadequacy of the UK Government’s response to the refugee crisis and has established a multi-agency Refugee Operation Task Force comprising local government and other stakeholders who are working to ensure services across Scotland are ready to welcome refugees into our communities. Scotland has shown that it stands ready to take its immediate fair share of refugees from the current crisis with the majority of Scotland’s councils, faith groups, community organisations, schools and ordinary citizens offering to help. Scotland’s Minister for Europe, Humza Yousaf MSP, has welcomed the hugeRead More →

Following reports that the UK has sold military equipment to countries that regularly use child soldiers or where children are targeted in warzones, the SNP’s Defence spokesperson Brendan O’Hara has called for immediate clarification on the breaches of UN protocol.As the Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEI), the world’s largest arms fair, begins tomorrow (Tuesday) in London, new figures have revealed that out of 23 countries listed by the UN for grave violations against children or where child soldiers are used the UK sold military hardware to 19.The UK has sold £2.4 million worth of military hardware to the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2010,Read More →

UNITED NATIONS TO PROBE TORY WELFARE REFORMS The SNP has urged the UK Government to fully cooperate with UN investigators following reports that the United Nations are to probe UK Government welfare reforms following a complaint that there had “grave and systematic” violations of disabled people’s human rights. So concerned are the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that they have already launched a formal investigation – and it is believed that a team will shortly visit the UK – and Scotland- to talk to those directly hit by the deep and continuing assault of Tory cuts. Last year United Nations SpecialRead More →

SNP MP Eilidh Whiteford is calling for an immediate halt to all sanctions in response to concerns that DWP staff are put under pressure to hit targets.   Dr Whiteford has written to Minister for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith saying that a “root and branch” independent review must be carried out immediately following a sorry catalogue of errors at the government department.   In recent weeks it has emerged that the DWP shamelessly fabricated success stories for a leaflet, that half of JSA and ESA sanctions were overturned when reviewed and today a whistle-blower has revealed that staff are under pressure from bossesRead More →

An SNP MP has called for clarity from Scottish Secretary David Mundell on the use of the Scotland Office in London. Dover House – the Scotland Office’s base in London – occupies an enviable location in central London on Whitehall and has hosted receptions for the Scottish Fashion Awards and the Scotch Whisky Association in recent years. But in response to a series of parliamentary questions seeking the number of public engagement events that have been held in Dover House aimed at promoting Scotland’s place in the UK and across the world lodged by Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman, the only answer fromRead More →

Monday 10th August PATRONAGE CIRCUS CONTINUES AT WESTMINSTER WITH KNIGHTOODS FOR DEFEATED MPS LUCRATIVE GONGS WILL OPEN DOORS FOR THE TORIES’ LIB DEM HELPERS There are reports that a number of Liberal Democrat MPs who lost their seats at the election in May are to be rewarded with peerages and knighthoods – despite being comprehensively rejected by the electorate. The LibDems have now just one MP in Scotland but look certain to add to their tally at Westminster with the imminent creation of another 50 or so peers – to add to the cronies and party funders who make up Westminster’s second chamber. It nowRead More →

The SNP has today marked UN International Youth Day by calling on young people aged 15 and over to register to vote ahead of next year’s Scottish general election. This reflects this year’s International Youth Day theme of ‘Youth Civic Engagement’. The 2016 election will be the first where 16 and 17 year olds will have the right to vote following the unanimous passage of the Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age) Bill in June this year. Last week the Electoral Commission launched a campaign to maximise voter registration amongst young people who will be 16 by the time of the election. Commenting, the UK’sRead More →