Next week sees the return of Colin Keir MSP and Michelle Thomson MP for their surgeries (writes James McGinty). Both attract large amounts of people with their general inquiries.
Colin is on the first Monday of the month whilst Michelle is on the first Friday of the month. We would encourage people to use these services.
To visit their websites click HERE for Colin and HERE for Michelle
Dear Editor
We work through a Parliament or a Council to change things, so it is crucial to know whom the Members represent and why.
Throughout history there have been many changes in how society works – but not without struggle. Those resisting change stood to benefit from the old system: it is the same today.
The system of Capitalism under which we live is not a stable one; it exists in crisis, followed by a mini-boom, followed by another crisis. The result is unemployment, restricted wages for most people and cuts in public services of all kinds.
The system cannot be stable if the main aim of the owners of industries is private profit making; Capitalism as a system can no longer cope and poses a danger to all. It is time to be replaced by a Socialist sytem, where increasingly industry will operate for the benefit of all, not the few.
This means a struggle, as in the past, with those resisting change. The areas of struggle must be decided by the needs of the people. This will arouse the wrath of the resisters, taking many forms: diverting attention in various ways, pitting one section of people against another to disrupt unity of purpose nationally and internationally.
Throughout history there have been many changes in how society operates: the present society of Capitalism will change but must be replaced by a fairer system called Socialism – that operates for the benefit of ALL.
A.Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens
‘More Scots voted to keep our kingdom united than have ever voted for any party in any election in Scottish history’ – Prime Minister David Cameron
Speaking one year after the people of Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister today said he is focussed on delivering devolution so that the debate can move on from what powers the Scottish Parliament should have, to how they are used to better the lives of the people of Scotland.
He added that the UK government will shortly table an amendment to the Scotland Bill to put beyond doubt that Holyrood is here to stay.
The Prime Minister said:
One year ago Scotland’s majority spoke.
More Scots voted to keep our kingdom united than have ever voted for any party in any election in Scottish history.
They voted decisively for a powerful Scottish Parliament within a strong and secure United Kingdom. We listened.
So let me be crystal clear: Scottish devolution is woven into the very fabric of our United Kingdom.
We will table an amendment to the Scotland Bill so there is absolutely no doubt: Holyrood is here to stay.
Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and I signed the Edinburgh Agreement which pledged we would all respect the outcome of last year’s momentous vote.
We all agreed – as do the Scottish public – that the independence referendum should be a ‘once in a generation’ or a ‘once in a lifetime’ event.
So now it is time to move on.
Some may want to obsess about separation.
But I am focussed on delivering devolution so that the debate can move on from what powers the Scottish Parliament should have, to how they are used to better the lives of the people of Scotland.
And today, on the anniversary of that historic vote, let me repeat: we are delivering a new, accountable and permanent Scottish Parliament. Holyrood will be one of the most powerful devolved Parliaments in the world.
UK aid contribution reaches £1 billion
Prime Minister David Cameron will visit Lebanon today to see first hand how UK aid is helping the most vulnerable people who have been driven from their homes in Syria.
While there, as the UK’s aid contribution reaches £1 billion, he will outline the details of the extra £100 million package to help Syrian refugees, including £40 million to be used in the region surrounding Syria.
The £40 million will be allocated to the UN and NGO (non-governmental organisation) partners working in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, including British aid agencies like Save the Children, providing shelter, food, relief packages, health and protection services, as well as cash assistance – giving individuals the freedom to decide how best to cover their needs.
what the government is doing to help Syrian refugees.
Up to £29 million will go to Lebanon – host to 1.1 million Syrian refugees, or over a quarter of Lebanon’s population. The aid will help refugees and impoverished host communities cope, helping to reduce tensions between those communities and lower the risk of conflict in Lebanon which, if it broke out, could lead to more displacement of people who may look to come to Europe. Some of the aid assistance will also focus on Palestinian refugees (via United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), and support to Lebanese municipalities (via United Nations Development Programme).
The new support to Lebanon will provide:
Up to £6 million will help Jordan – host to over 629,000 refugees, or over a fifth of its population – to meet essential needs and reduce the incentive for refugees considering routes to Europe.
Up to £5 million will also support the most vulnerable refugees in Turkey, providing food and healthcare for those situated outside of the camps. This aid comes in addition to the £4 million announced for Turkey by the Development Secretary in February, bringing the UK’s total contribution to Turkey this year to £9 million. This support will be channelled through UN and NGO agencies who are best placed to respond to the crisis, alongside the Turkish authorities.
The additional £100 million, announced by the Prime Minister last week in Madrid, will be used to provide food, water, health care, education and shelter to people in Syria as well as in neighbouring countries, helping them to meet their basic needs where they are, rather than taking the desperate decision to risk their lives by attempting to get to Europe.
Nearly 12 million people have been displaced by violence in Syria and nearly 8 million of those remain in the country, including many tens of thousands in informal camps near the Turkish border. Millions more suffering from the violence – who are yet to leave their homes – also need assistance.
In Syria itself, working with the International Rescue Committee, World Food Programme and UN agencies, £60 million will be spent to provide thousands of internally displaced people with a range of support including food, water, urgent trauma care and first aid. British funds will also help to provide essential drugs, medical supplies and equipment, as well as training for hundreds of dedicated health specialists and workers in the region.
Of those funds:
The Prime Minister said: “As the second largest bilateral donor to the humanitarian crisis in Syria our aid effort is supporting thousands of people to rebuild their lives, providing protection, counselling and schooling, alongside the provision of basic food and water.
“Investment in health, education, jobs and stability is the most effective way to help people overseas, and it is clearly in Britain’s interests.
“Around 3% of the 11 million Syrians forced from their homes have sought asylum in Europe, and without British aid hundreds of thousands more could be risking their lives seeking to get to Europe, so these funds are part of our comprehensive approach to tackle migration from the region.
“For thousands of refugees this money means a meal for their families, the security of a home with basic sanitation and clean water, and for children it means an education so we don’t lose a generation to the Syrian conflict.
“Our goal remains to support the development of a secure, stable and peaceful Syria. Without our investment in international development, the numbers of people seeking to embark on a perilous journey to Europe would be far greater.”
Leith Walk will be represented by new SNP and Labour councillors following yesterday’s double by-election.
The councillors were elected using the Single Transferable Vote system – the first time this method has been used to elect two members.
SNP’s John Lewis Ritchie was elected at Stage One of the voting process, while Labour’s Marion Donaldson had to wait considerably longer to learn of her success … she was finally elected at Stage Ten.
The result strengthens the Labour – SNP Capital Coalition’s grip on power at the City Chambers.
The double by-election was brought about by the resignations of Deirdie Brock, who became an MP in May’s general election, and Green councillor Maggie Chapman, who is bidding to become an MSP in North East Scotland at next year’s Holyrood elections.
Returning Officer, Andrew Kerr, said: “I would like to welcome the two newest Councillors to the City of Edinburgh Council and look forward to working with them on matters affecting the Leith Walk Ward and the city as a whole.
“I also want to thank our elections team for all the work they have put into ensuring this by-election ran smoothly.”
The turnout was a disappointing 25.1%
For further details of the results and the Leith Walk By-Election, visit the Elections section of the Council website.
‘this is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.’ – Prime Minister David Cameron
The Scottish Government has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that Great Britain is to give refuge to up 20,000 Syrian people and has offered to work with Westminster to tackle the humanitarian crisis.
Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the Prime Minister said: “Britain already works with the UN to deliver resettlement programmes and we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes. We have already provided sanctuary to more than 5,000 Syrians in Britain and have introduced a specific resettlement scheme, alongside those we already have, to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.
“But given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the Syrian people it is right that we should do much more. So Mr Speaker, we are proposing that Britain should resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees over the rest of this Parliament.
“In doing so we will continue to show the world that this is a country of extraordinary compassion always standing up for our values and helping those in need.”
The Scottish Government has repeatedly called on the UK Government to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to this emergency humanitarian issue and has pledged to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees in Scotland.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement, Scotland’s Minister for Europe and International Development Humza Yousaf said:
“As made clear by the First Minister at last week’s emergency humanitarian summit, Scotland is willing to take our fair share of refugees to help some of the most vulnerable people in need.
“We welcome the Prime Minister’s shift in attitude and late recognition that the UK has a role to play as an important first step. The 20,000 refugees over five years should not be seen as a cap or an upper limit and we must also play our part in responding to the crisis on the southern European coast line.
“We believe that the UK Should opt in to the EU relocation scheme and while the Prime Minister has made clear that the year one resettlement will be funded from the UK international aid budget, we seek urgent clarification on the impact that this will have on the work of existing aid projects.
“The refugee situation is at crisis point now and stretching UK support and refugee intake over the next five years means a number of people who could be helped immediately will be left without the vital help they need.
“We want to work constructively with the UK Government and the First Minister has again, today, written to the Prime Minster outlining the proceedings of Friday’s summit which focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved in integrating those who come here to seek protection.
“Today, I met with the Scottish Refugee Council to discuss the immediate service provision required to take in refugees and tomorrow I will chair the first meeting of the taskforce which will bring together stakeholders from across Scotland in the areas of local government, housing, health services, language support, transport and social services and will co-ordinate Scotland’s humanitarian and practical response.
“This is first and foremost a humanitarian crisis and it requires a humanitarian response. The overwhelming support we have seen from the Scottish people over the past few days shows our willingness to help the most vulnerable in the world.”
Britain to welcome ‘thousands more’ Syrian refugees
Britain will provide sanctuary to ‘thousands more’ Syrian refugees in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced.
He said the extra refugees would come from UN camps bordering Syria – not from people already in Europe – and he pledged to work with others to find long-term solutions to the crisis.
Speaking during talks with his Portuguese counterpart Pedro Passos Coelho in Lisbon, Mr Cameron said:
“Turning to migration, this is clearly the biggest challenge facing countries across Europe today. In the first 6 months of this year, more than 220,000 people were detected crossing the Mediterranean to Europe.
“And in July alone, over 100,000 people made this journey, three times higher than the number last year. These people come from different countries and different circumstances.
“We know that many are Syrians fleeing the conflict that has raged across their country, that has killed over 220,000 and has forced more than 11 million people to flee their homes. They now face two enemies at home – Assad and ISIL.
“Britain has a moral responsibility to help refugees as we have done throughout our history. We are already are providing sanctuary and we will continue to do so.
“As the second largest bilateral donor to the crisis, we have provided over £900 million in aid to help those affected in Syria and the region – we have funded shelter, food, water and vital medical supplies for millions of desperate refugees fleeing the conflict and helping them to survive in the countries around Syria, like Jordan and Lebanon.
“No European country has done more than Britain in this regard. Were it not for that massive aid, the numbers making the perilous journey to Europe today would be even higher.
“Now we have already accepted around 5,000 Syrians and have introduced a specific resettlement scheme, alongside those we already have, to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.
“As I said earlier this week, we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes and we keep them under review. And given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the people, today I can announce that we will do more – providing resettlement for thousands more Syrian refugees.
“We will continue with our approach of taking them from the refugee camps. This provides them with a more direct and safe route to the UK, rather than risking the hazardous journey which has tragically cost so many lives.
“We will discuss how best to design these schemes and the numbers we will take with NGOs and our partners. We will set out more details next week.
“Alongside this, Britain will continue to work with partners to tackle the conflict in Syria, to provide support to the region, to go after the smuggling gangs exploiting these people and to save lives at sea. HMS Enterprise remains in the Mediterranean alongside the Border Force cutters and together with HMS Bulwark, they have now rescued more than 6,700 people.
“Britain will act with our head and our heart, providing refuge for those in need while working on long-term solutions to this crisis. As I said earlier in the week, that means bringing to an end to the conflicts that are driving so many to flee, including the bloodbath that has engulfed Syria.”
Exact numbers have yet to be discussed, but charities have been quick to welcome Mr Cameron’s announcement.
Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring said: “Offering to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees would bring the UK in line with other European countries who have already shown leadership in offering a haven to vulnerable refugees.”
Dear Editor
For six years the Tory government has carried out sweeping cuts to the people’s income and they have decimated social services of all kinds – in the name of dealing with the financial crisis caused by the banks and financial institutions.
These financial institutions – here and overseas – are still creating havoc: buying and selling shares regardless of the effect this has one people’s lives here and overseas.
Yet despite all the evidence of greed and complete mismanagement, political action taken by the Tories is mainly against the people, not the culprits!
Why did the Tories poll 37% of the votes cast in the general election (although this was a minority of the population’s vote, it gave them enough to form a government)? Their access, support and possible control of most avenues of information, newspapers, etc. gave them a tremendous advantage, coupled with their ‘we have a plan’, repeated over and over again, convinced many people to give them another chance – a terrible mistake, and the bad effects of their policies will be increasingly felt.
The Tories always were and always will be the political representatives of the rich, who assume it is their natural right to govern.
As 90% of the population are wage earners, in other words they sell their ability to labour daily, to get the best possible wages and working conditions it is far better to have representation for your interests: the same is very true of political representatives.
To repeat, the Tories always represent the rich, the Liberals are never very sure for whom they speak and that leaves the Labour movement of unions, co-operatives, the Labour Party and SNP.
The Labour movement must now show they have a plan, a plan that works for and benefits the 90% of the population: for example free from private profit making the services that enable the 90% to function – gas, electricity, water, rail and road transport, among others.
A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens
Chisholm condemns Westminster inaction
SNP MSP Colin Keir has welcomed the launch of the ‘Scotland Supports Refugees’ initiative. The volunteer-led organisation has been set up to raise awareness about the refugee crisis in Europe, campaign for action and raise funds to support humanitarian relief.
Following First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s comments on the refugee crisis at FMQs Colin Keir SNP MSP for Edinburgh Western said: “Daily we see people driven by desperation drowning in the Mediterranean Sea while the UK government remains unwilling to act responsibly and welcome refugees fleeing Syria and other war torn nations.
“I warmly welcome the formation of the ‘Scotland Supporting Refugees’ initiative and support wholeheartedly their aims. It is a gross dereliction of its humanitarian responsibilities to act in the way the UK government currently is.
“I call on Prime Minister David Cameron to recognise that he is increasingly out of step with public opinion and change the UK position now. He should join Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in welcoming refugees.”
Earlier today local MSP Malcolm Chisholm also welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to support those in desperate need. He said: ” Magnificent leadership from NicolaSturgeon and Kezia Dugdale on refugees at First Minster’s Questions. Shame on David Cameron and the UK Government.”
