Politics – Page 255 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Women hit hardest by welfare reforms

‘inequalities faced by women have been exacerbated by the welfare reform agenda’ – Clare Adamson MSP

Women are being hit hard on multiple fronts by changes to the benefits system, according to a report published by Holyrood’s Welfare Reform Committee today.

The Committee found women are ‘disproportionately impacted’ by welfare reform across a range of issues and benefits. Its report includes recommendations to the Scottish Government and Department of Work and Pensions, aimed at mitigating the impact of welfare reform on women, including:

An integrated approach to job seeking support across health, housing and social care, to better meet the needs of women.
To tackle the greater dependence of women on the benefits system due to low pay and insecure employment, the Committee calls for better measures to close the gender pay gap and end occupational segregation.

Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP, said: “The evidence we have set out confirms the devastating impact on women of the UK Government’s reforms to the social security system. Of particular concern is the cumulative impact on women hit by multiple benefits cuts, from child support to carer’s allowance.

“The UK Government urgently needs to look at how women are being affected by these changes and we are also calling on the Scottish Government to look at the gender impact of their own policy decisions.”

Deputy Convener Clare Adamson MSP, said: ““Our report shows inequalities faced by women in Scotland have been exacerbated by the welfare reform agenda. With the Scotland Bill still making its way through Westminster and the Chancellor set to announce even deeper cuts to welfare spending, the Committee is urging the Scottish Government to make use of expected new powers over welfare to help mitigate more of the negative impact of welfare reform on women.

“The Committee would, for instance, support a move away from monthly and single household payments under Universal Credit, as a way of protecting women’s financial autonomy.”

The report will come as no surprise to many, but perhaps of more concern is the scale of cuts still to come: Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce a further £12 billion of welfare ‘savings’ in his budget on Wednesday.

Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said more women could be pushed into poverty and disproportionately affected by social security reforms if the UK Government cuts £12 billion from its welfare budget.

Commenting on the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee’s Women and Social Security report Mrs Burgess expressed her fears that the UK Government’s emergency budget would only deepen the gender inequalities highlighted in the findings.

The report backed Scottish Government recommendations on payment flexibilities under Universal Credit and it also highlighted the need for gender impacts to be factored into any policy decisions.

Mrs Burgess will meet women at One Parent Families Scotland in Glasgow today to hear their views on how the Scottish Government can create a Fairer Scotland. This comes on the same day as Barnardo’s Scotland and the Scottish Government joined forces to call a halt to proposed cuts.

Mrs Burgess said: “It is alarming to see that women have been disproportionately affected by the UK Government’s benefits cuts and are twice as dependent on social security than men. I am deeply concerned that the UK Government’s £12 billion cuts will only widen this gap.

“With our new powers we will create a fairer and simpler social security system that aims to tackle gender and other inequalities. However we need to know how the UK Government’s cost cutting will affect benefits that are to be devolved.

“Organisations like One Parent Families Scotland and Barnardo’s Scotland see the effects of social security changes on the groups the report highlights as being particularly vulnerable, on a day to day basis, and are rightly concerned about the devastating impact further cuts could have on children.

“We welcome the Committee’s recommendations over Universal Credit and sanctions, and we will continue to do all we can to break down the barriers that prevent women from entering into work.

“Over the next few months we’ll be listening to the people affected by the UK Government’s welfare changes and cuts and, will be making sure we get the views of women on how we can create a system that suits their needs.

“Despite challenges from the UK Government we are tackling poverty head on. Our new Independent Adviser on Poverty and Inequality will be looking at what more we can do to lift people out of poverty, we have invested £296 million in welfare mitigation measures, extended our childcare and are encouraging employers to pay the Living Wage.”

Last week the children’s commissioners for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland warned in a report to the United Nations that government austerity measures had failed to protect the most vulnerable children. The report said the £12bn of planned cuts would have the biggest effect on the 2.3 million children in the UK estimated to be living in poverty.

Greens on Greece: ‘a crisis caused by the rich’

Greens stand with people of Greece as economic crisis deepens

The Scottish Greens have pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Greek people in their fight against austerity. They have also urged both the UK and Scottish governments to put pressure on financial institutions to negotiate a fair debt restructure for Greece.

City councillor Maggie Chapman, Co-Convenor of the Scottish Green Party, said:
“We are in the midst of a crisis caused by the rich. The great economic challenge of our time is ending their power to punish the rest of us for a crisis we did not cause. Austerity is the mechanism they use and the place that has borne the brunt of austerity more than anywhere is Greece.

“We know austerity is doomed to fail, but in that failure it will only extend the economic pain felt by the most vulnerable people in society. All around Europe we must stand with the people of Greece in their stand against austerity, for a decent future and for democracy.

“The election of an anti-austerity SYRIZA led government in January was a clear signal that the people of Greece have rejected austerity. Greece’s creditors, represented by the so-called Institutions – the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – are trying to subvert that democracy. Their actions have been counterproductive and destructive.

“After five and a half years of brutal austerity Greek debt is higher, while the Greek people have suffered untold harm.

“As a democratic party and a party opposed to austerity the Scottish Greens stand with the people of Greece. As Co-Convener of the Scottish Greens I stand in solidarity with my SYRIZA & Ecologist Greens comrades in the the Greek Government as they lead Europe’s opposition to austerity. We call on the Scottish and UK Governments to intervene with the Institutions to secure the substantial restructuring of Greece’s debts and an end to austerity.”

MP ‘distressed’ by report on impact of benefits sanctions

‘It is time to make this system fit for purpose – and that should be to help people recover to better mental health.’ – Jo Anderson, SAMH

Scotland’s leading mental health charity, SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) welcomed Joanna Cherry MP to their Redhall service to help launch a new report last week.

The ‘Fir for Purpose’ report documents the negative impact the welfare system has had on 15 people participating in SAMH’s therapeutic gardening programme. The report calls for an end to benefit sanctions which put undue stress on people with mental health problems.

Last year, one of the participants highlighted the negative impact this had on their health:

‘Well, last year my psychiatrist was reducing my medication. When I got this letter from the DWP… I had to stop that and increase my medication again… Suicidal thoughts are massively increased. Urges for self-harm massively increased. Basically, when it comes to getting reassessed, every other part of my life kind of shuts down because it just has a really bad effect on me. It’s almost as if they were to design a process to make it as difficult as possible to stay alive, this is exactly how they would do it.’

The key findings of the report are:

There was a lack of understanding about mental health throughout the assessment process, with those responsible appearing not to be well trained or experienced in mental health.
Those who experienced repeated reassessments or challenging a poor decision found the experience very stressful, which can have an adverse effect of an individual’s recovery.
SAMH is calling for the Scottish Government to ensure that when it takes over the Work Choice programme for disabled people in 2017, it also takes the opportunity to incorporate tailored support for individuals in order to help more people into work and stay mentally well.

Joanna Cherry MP was elected to represent Edinburgh South West in May. She is a QC and recently co-authored the textbook “Mental Health and Scots Law in Practice’. The new local MP said: “The findings from SAMH’s Fit for Purpose report are quite distressing and highlight the real need for a review of how Work Capability Assessments are conducted and monitored effectively.

“The Redhall service offers a great environment for people to receive training and learn to cope with challenges while recovering from enduring mental health problems. I have met some very inspirational people who have overcome huge obstacles in their life and it is important that both the UK and Scottish Government work together and ensure nothing stands in the way of each person’s recovery.”

Jo Anderson, Director for External Affairs at SAMH said: “We are very grateful to Joanna Cherry for supporting our calls for a review to the Work Capability Assessment, with many of those interviewed stating that their mental health had deteriorated as a result of these changes.

“The majority of people with mental health problems continue to be placed on the Work Programme as opposed to the more successful Work Choice, which offers specialised employment support to people with disabilities and other health issues.

“It is time to make this system fit for purpose – and that should be to help people recover to better mental health.”

If you would like to download a copy of SAMH’s Fit for Purpose report, please visit: www.samh.org.uk/our-work/public-affairs/financewelfare

MSP ‘delight’ at record month for Edinburgh Airport

Keir hails soaraway success

The news that over one million passengers used Edinburgh Airport in May has been warmly welcomed by Edinburgh Western Constituency MSP Colin Keir.

Mr Keir, who is also Convener of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Aviation, said: “This is tremendous news once again from our city airport. It is vital to the economic growth of the city as well as the related jobs that come with having such a successful business. Obviously the new direct routes have given more choice and better deals for those travellers who use the airport which is great for tourism and great for business generally”.

“I’m pleased the airport management have accepted there have been problems with the security hall and that they are working towards a solution. If the airport wish to maintain a world class service with direct routes, the passenger experience has to maintain the same standard”.

Qatar: pressure on First Minister to raise human rights concerns

Concerns at Holyrood over human rights issues

Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon raising human rights concerns ahead of the planned football match between Scotland and Qatar at Easter Road tomorrow.

Ms Johnstone, a member of Holyrood’s cross-party group on human rights and co-convenor of the cross-party group on sport, highlights the widespread concern over the unprecedented number of deaths among workers building the infrastructure for the Qatar World Cup 2022 and urges the First Minister to consider how to address ongoing human rights abuses.

Edinburgh North & Leith MSP Malcolm Chisholm will today also ask the Scottish Government to speak out about human rights abuses in Qatar before tomorrow’s friendly match.

The Green MSP said: “I have sympathy for those who suggest the friendly match should be cancelled in order to send a strong signal to the footballing authorities that the current situation is unacceptable, not least while allegations of corruption surrounding World Cup bidding processes await resolution.

“However, I also understand the view that such a course of action may simply punish the Qatari athletes who are entirely innocent in all of this, while failing to address the matters at hand in a way that can have a meaningful impact on relevant Qatari officials and world football’s governing bodies.

“This is an opportunity to establish what action by the Scottish Government will be helpful in such cases where matters of political integrity and sport overlap. It is important that we adopt a stance that can be consistently applied to the one-off friendly match against Qatar, the qualification campaign for Qatar 2022 itself – and indeed Russia 2018, and the upcoming 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. All of these events are set to take place against the backdrop of serious human rights concerns, and all deserve our attention.

“Amnesty International has shown that abuse and exploitation of migrant construction workers remains a serious issue. We must consider how Scotland’s voice can aid the growing worldwide effort to tackle dangerous working conditions ahead of 2022, and human rights abuses more generally. Boycotts can be an important way of demonstrating concern, but we must consider whether and how boycotts should form part of a wider strategy, and whether we need to establish criteria by which to accept or extend invitations to play or to host sporting events in the first place.”

Decisions, decisions: Time for truly local councils?

A meeting taking place in Oban this weekend might just change the way communities engage with politics and politicians. Local democracy needs to change – is it time for a People’s Council?

A grassroots movement created to transform local democracy is to hold an event in Oban this weekend. The People’s Council believes that local democracy in Scotland is broken – and it’s up to people and communities themselves to fix it.

The movement has it’s roots in the west of Scotland, where community activists in Argyll & Bute started the ball rolling. Frustrated by the way their local authority operates, campaigners aim to revolutionise decision-making, taking it back to the local communities themselves. They’ve had enough of the council’s ‘we know what’s good for you’ attitude and believe that decisions made about a community are best made by the people who are affected by them – the people who live there. Sound familiar?

Community campaigners were particularly aggrieved over their local authority’s lack of support for a community buy-out of Castle Toward, their council’s failure to challenge budget cuts and the subsequent cuts to services in their communities that inevitably followed.

Activists began chatting online – and an online community, the People’s Council movement, was formed. It soon became clear that people and communities across the country are also concerned about the state of local democracy, and the decision was made to widen the campaign and make the movement Scotland wide.

The group feels that the structure and ethos of councils, and not just their actions and decisions, must be challenged.

It is calling for fundamental reform of local government in Scotland and have called a People’s Council meeting to look at how this can be achieved.

A People’s Council spokesperson said: “This grassroots event in Argyll is set to challenge the nature of local democracy in Scotland. Scotland may be topping the UK charts in terms of voter turnout at the recent election but there’s still a huge local democratic deficit we need to tackle.

“Join us in Oban on 6 June for this one day event full of speakers, workshops, discussion and action to explore local democracy reform from a grassroots level organised by a collective of community activists from across Argyll.

“Speakers include writer and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, Common Weal’s Robin McAlpine, Paddy Bort of the University of Edinburgh, campaigner Cat Boyd, local MSP Mike Russell and Councillor Vivien Dance, among others.

“The aim of the event is to plan and organise how people can effect change in our local communities and across Scotland. Everyone knows that local democracy in Scotland is broken. The People’s Council wants to try and fix it.”

Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch has thrown her weight behind the campaign and is one of a number of high profile speakers who will address the People’s Council event on Saturday.

She said: “Scotland has Europe’s largest councils by population and physical size. That means distant decision-making, low levels of participation and constant battles between communities and councils.

“Argyll and Bute Council’s shameful failure to transfer Castle Toward to the local community as agreed was one of the lowest points in the history of Scottish local democracy. But now activists from across Argyll are demonstrating real leadership by deciding to get even – not angry.

“These campaigners have kick-started a process to devise a new workable template of truly local government in Scotland involving folk from all over Scotland – the People’s Councils.

“There’s been support for this novel, grassroots idea at every meeting I’ve spoken at during the election campaign from Assynt in the Highlands to Duns in the Borders. Truly local councils are an idea whose time has come – well done Argyll for getting the ball rolling.”

Independent MSP John Finnie, who will also speak at the Oban event, said: “In far too many local authorities decisions reached indicate just how far, both in terms of geography and mind-set, those charged with representing communities are from what really matters.

“That must and will change as the growing debate around the need to ensure meaningful local democracy, which reflects community aspirations, gathers momentum.”

The event takes place at Oban High School on Saturday 6 June from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Tickets are £10/£7 and can be purchased online from Ticket Tailor, or via www.thepeoplescouncil.org.

A number of free tickets are also available.

Charles Kennedy: a wee giant

Former Lib Dem leader dies aged 55

Lib Dem politician Charles Kennedy has died, his family has announced. He was only 55. Kennedy was one of a rare breed – that rare phenomenon, a popular politician – and colleagues and opponents have been swift to praise the likeable wee guy known to many as ‘Chat Show Charlie’.

A statement released on behalf of his family this morning said: “It is with great sadness, and an enormous sense of shock, that we announce the death of Charles Kennedy. Charles died at home in Fort William yesterday. He was 55. We are obviously devastated at the loss.

“Charles was a fine man, a talented politician, and a loving father to his young son. We ask therefore that the privacy of his family is respected in the coming days.

“There will be a post-mortem and we will issue a further statement when funeral arrangements are made.”

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted earlier this morning: “Sad beyond words to hear the news about Charlie Kennedy. A lovely man and one of the most talented politicians of his time. Gone too soon.’

Kennedy’s predecessor as Lib Dem party leader Paddy Ashdown remarked: “In a political age not overburdened with gaiety and good sense, he brought us wit, charm, judgement, principle and decency.”

Nick Clegg, who resigned as Liberal Democrat leader following last month’s general election, said: “Charles devoted his life to public service, yet he had an unusual gift for speaking about politics with humour and humility which touched people well beyond the world of politics.

“He was one of the most gentle and unflappable politicians I have ever known, yet he was immensely courageous too not least when he spoke for the country against the invasion of Iraq.”

Breaking up Britain? Report to lambast Westminster voting system

Electoral Reform Society report will highlight deficiencies of ‘an archaic and broken voting system’

Definitive report on 7 May result highlights least proportional result in UK electoral history
Exclusive YouGov study for the ERS will show result under fairer voting systems
First Past the Post is ‘breaking up Britain’ by creating artificial divisions, analysis shows

The failure of Britain’s voting system will be laid bare on Monday, when the Electoral Reform Society will release their definitive report on the General Election.

The report, ‘The 2015 General Election: A Voting System in Crisis’, will reveal how this election was the most disproportionate in British electoral history, according to new analysis.

It will also, for the first time, conclusively reveal how the election would have looked different under other voting systems – based on polling of over 40,000 people’s party preferences for the ERS by YouGov.

As well as this exclusive new polling, A Voting System in Crisis argues that the voting system is even contributing to the break-up of the UK, artificially inflating divisions and leading to a ‘postcode electoral lottery’ where parties are excluded in one area and over-represented in another. Millions of people’s voices are being excluded simply because of where they live, the report argues.

It draws on the fact that the SNP won 95% of Scottish seats on half the vote – leaving unionist sentiment in Scotland almost completely unrepresented, while at the same time the Labour party was locked out of the South of England – winning just 8 seats in the South East and South West despite getting nearly a fifth of the vote. Equally, cross-community parties were kept out in Northern Ireland under Britain’s divisive voting system, and Labour were greatly over-represented in Wales.

The number of votes cast for parties other than the three main UK wide parties rose to its highest ever level on May 7 – the dawn of ‘truly multi-party politics’, but a politics operating under what the ERS describe as an ‘archaic and broken voting system’.

The report will show the shocking number and percentage of votes which went to losing candidates and were effectively wasted. It will also reveal the number / percentage of MPs who were elected without a majority of votes, as well as the stunningly low number of MPs who actually secured a majority from the overall electorate.

The full report will be produced on Monday 1 June.

A ‘One Nation’ Queen’s Speech?

‘The Queen’s Speech 2015 will be a clear programme for working people, social justice and bringing our country together’

Ahead of today’s Queen’s Speech Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Behind this Queen’s Speech is a clear vision for what our country can be. A country of security and opportunity for everyone, at every stage of life.

“That is our ambition. To build a country where whoever you are and wherever you live you can have the chance of a good education, a decent job, a home of your own and the peace of mind that comes from being able to raise a family and enjoy a secure retirement.

“A country that backs those who work hard and do the right thing.

“This is the Queen’s Speech for working people from a ‘one nation’ government that will bring our country together.

“We have a mandate from the British people, a clear manifesto and the instruction to deliver. And we will not waste a single moment in getting on with the task.”

First Minister meets Prime Minister – no meeting of minds but progress made

First post-election talks are ‘constructive and helpful’

More powers for the Scottish Parliament and tackling austerity were on the agenda as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met Prime Minister David Cameron at Bute House yesterday.

During their first face-to-face talks since the general election, the First Minister welcomed a commitment by the Prime Minister to look at proposals from the Scottish Government to extend Holyrood’s power beyond the plans outlined in the Smith Commission.

Ms Sturgeon also welcomed the Prime Minister’s agreement that legislation currently being drafted to take forward further devolution would implement in full the Smith Commission proposals and also take account of the report published by the Scottish Parliament’s Devolution Committee earlier this week.

The discussions, described by the First Minister as “constructive and helpful”, also covered her desire to tackle austerity, with further proposals on how this could be achieved within the UK Government’s own fiscal mandate now to be submitted by the Scottish Government and considered by the Prime Minister in due course.

To take forward these points, the First Minister and Prime Minister also agreed to much closer contact between their respective governments, with a commitment to increasing the number of bilateral meetings between the pair.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I was pleased to welcome the Prime Minister to Bute House for what were constructive and helpful talks on a range of issues following the outcome of the UK general election.

“During the meeting, we had a productive discussion about the Smith Commission proposals and where we might go beyond them. From that, two things of importance were agreed. Firstly, there was a commitment from the Prime Minister that the legislation being drafted will fully implement the Smith Commission proposals and take account of the conclusions of the Holyrood committee report that was published yesterday.

“Secondly, the Prime Minister agreed that he would look at proposals the Scottish Government will bring forward on how we go beyond the Smith Commission in various important areas. There was no agreement on the substance of that, but the Prime Minister has said he will consider our proposals and there will be a meeting, in the first instance, between the Deputy First Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland to look at how we take that further forward.”

The First Minister continued: “The Prime Minister and I have agreed to meet more regularly, which is a good step forward. We have also agreed to much closer contact between Ministers in the Scottish and UK governments to discuss issues of common interest and policies that impact on Scotland at a much earlier stage – that’s all very positive.

“David Cameron and I are a world apart politically but, where we can, I’m determined that we do business in the interest of people in Scotland and across the UK and I’m determined to have a constructive and business-like relationship.

“I hope that the Prime Minister can now show he can respond and deliver a better deal for Scotland, with an empowered Scottish Parliament with the powers over business taxes and employment law, the minimum wage and welfare that enables us to grow our economy, get more people into jobs, and lift people out of poverty. Because, ultimately, that is what this process is all about.”

The First Minister confirmed that discussions had also covered austerity and public spending across the UK. She said: “The Prime Minister has a fiscal mandate, but even within that that I believe there is enough flexibility to ease the pain of austerity, invest in the things that matter while still getting the debt and deficit down. We have agreed to send our analysis and proposals to the UK Government and he has agreed to look at them. I have a duty as First Minister of Scotland to stand up for the things I believe the people of Scotland want and I will not shy away from doing that.”The visit came within a week of the election result, and the Westminster government says this underlines the Prime Minister’s commitment to renewing and refreshing the United Kingdom and the importance he places on the respect agenda.

Speaking before the meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I am here today to underline my commitment to our United Kingdom and Scotland’s important place within it.

“That means remaining true to the promise we made to implement the all-party Smith agreement to make Scotland one of the most accountable and powerful devolved parliaments in the world.

“It also means recognising those things which unite us in these islands: the achievements we have made together, the institutions we have built together, our great social history, the common economic challenges we face today, and the strength which comes from pulling together for the common good in the future. This is our one nation agenda in action.

“Scotland has two governments and it is the duty of the First Minister and myself to respect each other’s roles and responsibilities and to work together for the benefit of all the people of Scotland.

“As more powers are devolved to Scotland, it is time to move beyond the debate about processes and focus on those bread and butter issues that affect every family in our United Kingdom – jobs, homes, good schools and strong public services, and dignity and respect in retirement. These are the building blocks we need to provide a brighter future for people in every part of our country.”

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