Paisley Daily Express - 20 September 2011

Upper Clyde Shipbuilders

　

I recently sponsored a debate in the Scottish Parliament to mark the 40^th anniversary of the start of the UCS dispute which led to shipbuilding on the Clyde being saved. The debate was attended by veterans of the ground breaking "work in", including George Kerr from Renfrewshire. It was also heartening to see a large group of apprentices from the Clyde yards, whose jobs are a direct result of the success of the action 40 years ago. My thanks also to Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, Britain’s largest Trade Union who took the time to travel up from England to attend the debate and speak at the reception.

It was interesting to draw the parallels with today. Then as now, we had a newly elected Conservative Government determined to make working people pay for a crisis not of their making. But the Tories reckoned without a determined workforce and a disciplined and well organised shop stewards committee. Their demand was a simple one. "The Right to Work". And they knew they were not only fighting for their own jobs, but for the wellbeing of the wider community and jobs for future generations.

They were ably led by well known figures like Jimmy Reid, Jimmy Airlie and Sammy Barr. But there were more behind them, like Jimmy Cloughley from Clydebank. And it wasn’t just the men. Women working in the offices played a key role, including liaising with the telephone engineers to make sure that lines of communication were maintained. There was no such thing as mobile phones in those days!

There was widespread support for the UCS work in across the Scottish Labour and Trade Union movement and well beyond. Churches and business people were united in support and John Lennon and Yoko Ono gave financial backing. Eventually the Tory Government had to back down, and this success saved shipbuilding on the Clyde.

And there are lessons for today’s trade unionists and politicians. Jobs are being cut, living standards reduced and ordinary people being asked to make sacrifices while those at the top become more wealthy. We owe it to the UCS workers to show the same resolve to fight for a decent future for working people and their families. We should be demanding the Right to Work. And we need to decide whose side we are on. Do we stand with the rich and powerful who are demanding sacrifice, or will we stand beside those who are being asked to make the sacrifice?

　

　Paisley Town Centre

Because of boundary changes, I no longer represent Paisley in the Scottish Parliament. But I know just how important a successful Paisley is to the rest of Renfrewshire. The present Council has had over 4 years to implement its plans to revitalise Paisley Town Centre. And what has happened? A recent report shows that Paisley has the highest percentage of shops vacant in the whole of Scotland. That’s right. The whole of Scotland. There is a vacancy rate of 23.7% that’s more than 1 shop in 5. Where Paisley does excel is having pretty posters in shops to kid people on that the shops are occupied. Is this the best we can do? We know times are hard, with less money around and competition from the internet. But it’s time for some action and progress. Renfrewshire needs a healthy Paisley Town Centre.

　

Fly Infestation

I recently organised a packed meeting in Johnstone Town Hall to discuss a problem being experienced by people living around the Town centre. Householders (and also local businesses) are being afflicted by a plague of flies. While this summer has not been as bad because of the poor weather, the lives of local people are being ruined. Some can’t sit out in their garden. They can’t cook or eat meals without taking preventative action. Local health centres have the worry of cleanliness and safety when dealing with sick people. Parents have to take precautions with sleeping children. And no one wants to take responsibility. Most local people blame the problem on the WRC Recycling Plant at Floors Street. Residents complain of the smell from waste being brought in for processing. They also complain of waste being left for long periods.

To try to get to the bottom of this, I arranged a meeting between residents, Renfrewshire Council (Environmental Services) and SEPA (the Environment Protection Agency). I invited the company but the invitation was declined. Both the Council and SEPA were shocked to hear about the extent of the problem. Some local people turned up with bags with thousands of dead flies. The anger and frustration was clear. The Council and SEPA have agreed to work together to try to identify the source of the problem. Once we know this, then action can be taken. It’s just not good enough to have so many people being affected by what is not just a nuisance, but a potential health hazard.

Paisley Dailey Express - 07 September 2011

Clean Water

A recent report suggested that the quality of Scottish water had never been better. Try telling that to my constituents who have to endure filthy manganese contaminated water. It has been accepted that those affected, including householders in Johnstone, should have seen remedial action before now. Those affected are unable to cook, bathe or wash laundry. A number of people have reported clothing being damaged and I have demanded that Scottish Water should compensate those who have suffered loss. The real solution should be urgent action at the water treatment works. Clean water should be a right in 21^st century Scotland.

Ronnie Burns

Along with friends and colleagues from the Labour Party and Trade Unions, I attended the funeral mass for Ronnie Burns, the ex Provost of Renfrewshire. Ronnie was a gentle person who never had a harsh word to say about anyone. He dedicated his life to helping others and his political and trade union activity came from his determination to help those around him. He was proud to represent Linwood and his contribution to his community was reflected in the turnout of those he had worked with over the years.

New Laws

The Scottish Parliament met last week for the first time since the summer recess. There is not a lot that anyone could disagree with in terms of the Scottish Government’s plans for new laws. The problem may be in the detail of what will be considered. Very few people will disagree with the need to stamp out sectarianism in Scotland. A recent poll indicated over 80% of Scots wanted action. But it’s wrong to simply see sectarianism in terms of football alone. Equally if the Scottish Government wants to jail offenders for up to five years, then surely it has a duty to spell out clearly what the law says so that members of the public know when they are breaking the law? If we can’t or won’t say what is illegal then we are in danger of making some bad mistakes. The other major issue is tackling Scotland’s problem with alcohol. I fully support the Scottish Government’s determination to confront this, but I still have concerns with its determination to pursue minimum pricing, which is untried and untested. I hope we will see proper evidence and studies and I hope that the legal doubts will be properly addressed.

And of course any legislative programme throws up gaps where others think there should be legislation. I would like to have seen further legislation to tackle rogue private sector landlords, as well as legislation to regulate our patchy and inconsistent bus services. I would also like to have seen legislation to give greater protection to workers who face violence when serving the public, and laws to restore school transport to pupils who have to walk three miles to school in all weathers. And finally we could do with legal protection to stop Councils like Renfrewshire trying to replace teachers with unqualified staff.

Burial heartache

The Paisley Daily Express last week reported on another case where Renfrewshire Council had refused to allow family members to be buried together. I have previously raised concerns about other similar cases. Most people would understand that if they purchase a lair, it would only be able to hold a defined number of bodies. But Renfrewshire Council has changed the rules after lairs have been purchased, and the first that grieving families know of this is when they are trying to arrange the funeral.

When I first raised this problem, the Council tried to blame a change in regulations. When I wrote to Government Ministers it was made clear that it was the Council which had made the change. The Council even chastised me for criticising what I believe is a cruel and heartless decision. The Paisley Daily Express article is further proof that there needs to be a rethink.

Linwood Shopping Centre

As Autumn approaches, residents of Linwood will not only be keeping an eye on the weather. The next few months should see the long awaited demolition of the eyesore of a shopping centre which has blighted the town for years. Along with Councillor Anne Hall and Jim Sheridan MP, I will be watching Tesco to make sure that promises are delivered. Linwood residents have had to put up with a lot. They deserve to see progress.