SNP NORTH AMERICAN NETWORK NEWSLETTER
UPDATE
NOTE-- due to regulations set by the Labour party in London
Only persons with the right to vote in the UK may contribute directly to the SNP. Supporters who have no vote in the UK are asked to contribute to our North America Fund, the income from which is retained in North America to support awareness-raising there about Scotland and the SNP.SNP SELECT CANDIDATE FOR AYR BY-ELECTION On Thursday 27 January the Scottish National Party members in Ayr constituency selected Mr Jim Mather as the Party's candidate in the Ayr Scottish Parliament by-election. Jim Mather (52) is a Chartered Accountant, and a businessman who is currently Executive Director of "Business for Scotland", the pro-Independence business grouping. Mr Mather took to the campaign almost immediately with a walkabout in Ayr town centre and several other constituency visits being accompanied by the SNP leader Alex Salmond. Commenting on his selection Mr Mather said: "I am honoured and delighted to be chosen by the local party as the candidate in this Scottish Parliament by-election. "Ayr is a three-horse race between the SNP, Labour and the Tories, with all of the recent polls showing the SNP advancing throughout Scotland. The SNP will be fighting to win this important by-election." The regional list vote in Ayr for the Scottish Parliament set the context for the by-election, since it removes the "candidates factor" at that stage, and gives a straightforward indication of the parties' support as it stood last May. The results were Labour: 32.1%; Tory: 30.9%; SNP: 22.6%; Lib Dem: 6.2% showing the SNP, Labour and Tories were all within 10 points of each other. LABOUR FIRST MINISTER'S ADMINISTRATION IN SHAMBLES The SNP's Business Manager Mr Michael Russell MSP has said that Donald Dewar's administration is now in shambles after continuing problems with his group of special advisors - party activists employed at the public expense to advice Labour government ministers. Last month Donald Dewar's Chief of Staff, John Rafferty, was sacked after allegations of lying to journalists - an allegation which has not been substantiated as no specific reason has been given for the sacking. Now another advisor, Philip Chalmers, resigned suddenly after two drink-driving convictions. The embarrassment of this resignation was exacerbated after Donald Dewar's official spokesperson David Whitton made critical remarks referring to Donald Dewar's sacked Chief of Staff John Rafferty. Since that incident another advisor, Brian Fitzpatrick, was involved in allegations of making a statement that suggested stopping a lawyer from becoming a judge. Commenting on the series of incidents Mr Russell said: "The Labour Executive have descended into a total shambles. There is a civil war going on at the heart of the Executive, paid for by the public purse, which is an outrageous state of affairs. "Yet again, Donald Dewar is reacting to events, and appears to have lost all control over what is happening inside his backbiting Executive." STUDENT HARDSHIP - "LONDON DICTATED PACKAGE TO LABOUR AND LIBERALS" Responding to the Labour-Liberal Government's response to the Cubie Report on student hardship the SNP's Shadow Minister for Enterprise & Lifelong Learning Mr John Swinney MSP called it a fudge and a disgrace which had been dictated to them by London politicians. The Cubie Committee had been set up to investigate student hardship after the Liberals made a deal with Labour to into coalition. The Liberals had promised to abolish tuition fees - a supposed majority opinion in the Parliament - but have now reneged on this promise. Instead of being abolished fees will now be paid by graduates once they earn more than £10,000 (about US$ 16,500). Considering purchasing power in the UK this is seen as too low a level by students. Commenting on the Executive's plans Mr Swinney said: "The package is a disgrace. It bears no relationship to the Cubie proposals, and has already been greeted with enormous disappointment by students. Instead of a student funding package being decided in Scotland, on the basis of what is best for Scottish students, the Cubie Report has been vetoed by Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Blunkett in London. "A senior government source is quoted in today's Evening News stating that Brown and Blunkett 'would not wear it', [the Cubie Report]. He added: 'The view was that Scots got themselves into this mess and should get themselves out of it.' "At London's instigation, the Executive have watered down the Cubie Report so much that it's not so much 'Cubie Minus', but 'Cubie Minus Minus'. "The Liberal Democrats have broken their solemn election manifesto promise to abolish tuition fees for all Scottish students at UK universities, and no amount of bluster and spin can disguise that betrayal. Deferred payment of tuition fees does not represent abolition, and Scots choosing to study south of the Border are being discriminated against." SALMOND CALLS FOR PARLIAMENT NOMINEE TO BANK OF ENGLAND COMMITTEE The leader of the Scottish National Party Mr Alex Salmond MSP called on a nominee of the Scottish Parliament to be appointed to the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which sets interest rates for the UK. Mr Salmond said: "The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee is setting interest rates for the whole of the UK, but is overwhelmingly biased towards the south east of England in terms of its membership and orientation. "The result is that Scotland is being inflicted with interest rates at 5.75 per cent because of the overheated economy of the south east of England - with more rises in the pipeline - when we should have interest rates in line with the 3 per cent that applies across the eurozone. "The terms of reference of the MPC given to them by Gordon Brown is a major problem, with its sole focus on inflation, rather than encompassing the wider interests of small businesses, manufacturers and exporters. But so too is the MPC's membership, which fails to reflect different conditions across the UK, including in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the English regions. "I am calling on Eddie George, the Bank of England Governor, to support the concept of a nominee of the Scottish Parliament to be appointed to the Monetary Policy Committee - as well as nominees from the Welsh and Northern Irish assemblies. It would go a long way towards addressing its London bias, and the inappropriate interest rates policy that this leads to." SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT MUST TAKE CONTROL OF JOB CREATION SCHEME Reacting to newly published figures on the New Deal - a government funded job creation scheme - the Shadow Social Security spokesman Mr Alex Neil MSP said that the scheme's success was purely based on spin and countered claims that the New Deal has created 20,000 jobs in Scotland. He revealed that 65% of the jobs filled would have been found anyway while 25% of the jobs included in the Executive's figures were short-term and lasted less than six months. Mr Neil went on to renew SNP calls for a reworking of the scheme and demanded that the remaining £200 million Scottish New Deal budget be put under the control of the Scottish Parliament. He said: "The SNP has looked to get underneath the New Labour spin to find the truth beneath these misleading figures. The truth of the matter is that of the 20,000 who have found work, only 13,000 New Dealers have moved into unsubsidised jobs and the Executive cannot even say how many of these are still in work. "Recent research by Edinburgh University concluded that 75% of young people in Scotland leave the jobs found for them by New Deal within six months. The other 7,000 are in short term subsidised jobs that may not even last for 6 months. "I am therefore renewing the call for the remaining £200 million Scottish New Deal budget to be brought under the Scottish Parliament's control. We would then be able to construct a flexible job creation scheme based on principles of reintegration, community development, fighting poverty and local economic stimulation." FARMERS' INCOME FALLS AGAIN The publication of the Agricultural Business Income Estimates for 1999 has shown an alarming drop in farm incomes. Commenting on the figures that show average farm incomes dropping to £2,600 per annum Shadow Rural Affairs Minister, Mr Alasdair Morgan MSP said: "Scottish farming has faced a great many problems over the last few years with virtually every sector effected in some way or another. Many farmers are working very hard to secure the future of the industry but are facing other problems such as higher animal welfare costs than their EU counterparts the last thing they need is the problems being caused by the strong pound. "The present Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie remarked that farmers face serious difficulties but that the weakness of the Euro against the pound was a problem but one outwith the control of the Scottish Parliament. He is of course exactly right and that is one reason why Scotland needs control over its own economy policy. "Given his comments I want to know what action he is taking to lobby Gordon Brown to change his strong sterling policy. And given the grave problems facing our farmers it is high time that he examined much more closely the possibilities for paying agrimonetary compensation." SNP CRITICISE NEW LABOUR'S "TAP TAX" The Labour-Liberal Government have announced inflation busting increases in bills for water supplies and services with a staggering £35 in the North of Scotland. Commenting on these rises in water charges Shadow Deputy Water Industry Minister Mr Richard Lochhead MSP said: "Consumers throughout Scotland will be appalled by these massive hikes in water charges - the third in a row since Labour came to power in 1997. Sarah Boyack is making Scottish water consumers pay a "tap tax" to pay for private companies to build water and sewerage plants because New Labour don't want to spend any money on improving water services in Scotland. "By the time these charges take effect someone living in Forth Valley will be paying nearly 300% more in bills than they did before Labour came to power and in the North and North East of Scotland bills will rocket through the £300 barrier for the first time as bills there will go up by a third. Everyone is set to pay under New Labour's proposals. "Just like New Labour make Scotland pay the highest price for our own fuel, they are set to make us pay the highest prices for our water!" MANX PARLIAMENT AGREE TO LIFT WRECK OF TRAGIC SUNKEN FISHING BOAT Galloway & Upper Nithsdale MSP, Mr Alasdair Morgan, has welcomed the news that the Isle of Man Parliament, the Tynwald, has unanimously agreed to spend £1 million to fund the raising of the wreck of the Solway Harvester which sunk in the Irish Sea with all hands being lost. The sinking of the boat has been a shocking tragedy to the small Solway Firth community of the Isle of Whithorn. Mr Morgan commented: "The decision of the Isle of Man Parliament is extremely generous for a small country and will be greatly appreciated by the relatives of the Solway Harvester crew and by the fishing communities of the Solway. "The attitude of the Manx authorities in the aftermath of this tragedy is to be commended and we must now await the boat's retrieval which I hope will be as soon as possible." SNP leader and Banff & Buchan MSP, Mr Alex Salmond, added: "The Manx authorities are to be congratulated on the humanitarian approach which they have shown throughout this tragic episode. "Their decision contrasts sharply with the attitude of the Department of Transport in London towards the families of the Peterhead-registered Sapphire which sank in 1997. " I sincerely hope that the enlightened attitude of the Isle of Man will soon become general practice here so that no other families are faced with the trauma of having to organise a private appeal for what should be a public responsibility." CUNNINGHAM CALLS FOR INTRODUCTION OF 'DRUG COURTS' LIKE THE US AND CANADA Speaking in the Scottish Parliament the Shadow Justice and Equality Minister Roseanna Cunningham MSP suggested the introduction of "Drug Courts" along the lines of the US and Canadian models. Speaking in a debate on drugs she said: "An example from international experience which it might be useful for us to consider for Scotland and that is one which I have raised before with the Minister and indeed with his predecessor in the pre-1999 dispensation. I refer to the establishment of drugs courts which are beginning to spring up in many countries, for example, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand - and as I understand it, in Ireland now as well as of this month. "The aim of these courts is to provide a treatment led response to drug and drug related crime which builds on a partnership between law enforcement agencies and treatment services. They bridge the gap between punishment and treatment for the user - not the dealer it should be emphasised. The discipline imposed on the offender is very challenging and failure to comply is likely to result in a return to the mainstream courts and swift incarceration thereafter. "Drugs courts are one positive suggestion being put forward. As already mentioned, the Scottish Drugs Forum has endorsed the idea and I understand that CoSLA has been actively considering it for some time. It fits perfectly with the multi-agency approach we all regard as vital if we are to make any headway with the overall problem and I would commend it to the Minister." SNP RENEW CAMPAIGN FOR 'SCOTTISH SIX' NEWS PROGRAMME The Shadow Minister for Culture, Broadcasting & Gaelic Mr Michael Russell MSP renewed the campaign for a "Scottish Six" main evening news bulletin in an address at an event at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow on Tuesday 18 January. Mr Russell said: "Real television news in Scotland has to report Scottish stories, and Scottish views on world stories, in order to catch and hold Scottish audiences. That should be no problem. Scotland has a wealth of broadcasting talent, and more than enough happening to be at the forefront of what we want to see. "So it's ridiculous that the London based mandarins of the BBC are continuing to veto real Scottish based news programmes. In December 1998, the BBC Board of Governors turned their back on proposals for a Scottish Six o Clock news - and instead insisted that main news programmes must come first of all from London. "You know the result - reports about English education and health at the very time when our Parliament is getting to grips with those subjects. Bank holiday bulletins reduced to a couple of minutes, when Scotland doesn't have a bank holiday. Gales in Brighton, when you can't stand up in the wind in Greenock! "In contrast a 'Scottish Six' would blend the best of Scottish, UK and international stories, and present them to a Scottish audience from a Scottish perspective. Rather than being inward looking, a 'Scottish Six' would give Scotland a window on the world. Scots are international in their outlook, and real Scottish broadcasting would be the same." LABOUR SPENDS SCHOOLS' MONEY ON OPERA Shadow Children and Education Minister Ms Nicola Sturgeon MSP criticised Sam Galbraith following revelations in The Herald that the £2.1 million rescue package for Scottish Opera was money earmarked for schools. Ms Sturgeon said: "Scottish arts should be supported but it is astonishing that Labour prioritises money they promised for schools in such a fashion. I am appalled that money earmarked in the Labour manifesto to reduce class sizes should be siphoned off to bail out the Scottish Opera company. "Labour is still some way off meeting its target to reduce all primary one to primary three classes to fewer than 30 pupils. Every penny recovered from the phasing out of assisted places should go into delivering this pledge. "I would have thought that even if Labour was meeting its targets any extra money should be dedicated to reducing class sizes above primary 3. Today's revelation will appal parents throughout Scotland and show that Labour pledges aren't worth the paper they are written on." DEATH OF NIGEL TRANTER Commenting on news of the death of widely-known Scottish author and historian Nigel Tranter, the Shadow Minister for Culture, Broadcasting & Gaelic Mr Michael Russell MSP said: "Nigel Tranter was a story-teller of rare power, whose genius was his ability to excite new audiences with imaginative and detailed tales of Scotland's past. "He brought Scottish history to life, and made it accessible to all." Mr Tranter visited the Scottish Parliament, for the first time, as a guest of Mr Richard Lochhead MSP just before the Christmas recess (on 16 December). Mr Lochhead said: "SNP MSPs and staff had the pleasure of meeting Nigel Tranter when he visited Parliament shortly before Christmas. As a long-standing supporter of a Scottish Parliament, he was thrilled with developments in Scotland, and full of hope for the country's future. It is sad that he is no longer with us to witness them." AND FINALLY... The SNP's Chief Whip in the Scottish Parliament, Bruce Crawford MSP, has been banned from burning aromatherapy candles in his office by the Parliament's officials as it is a fire hazard. Bruce claims they were an asset in helping him remain calm in the hothouse atmosphere of Scottish politics. SNP MSP's are now wondering if the usually calm approach of Mr Crawford will now be replaced by a more abrupt manner. © SNP