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Dear Constituent

Welcome to my website and the regular update on my work.  

The two weeks in Parliament after Recess have coincided with Fairtrade Fortnight (23rd February – 8th March 2009). I know that the issue of Fairtrade is one which a great number of my constituents are concerned with and I am delighted that all establishments in the Hillhead Learning Community have achieved Fairtrade status, making it the largest Fairtrade Learning Community in the UK. I have lodged a motion in Parliament calling on the Scottish Government to set a Fairtrade example by ensuring that at least 10% of the £100 million it spends on food for schools, hospitals and workplaces every year is spent on fairtrade products. Not only would it set a great example to supermarkets, businesses and consumers, it would make Scotland the Fairtrade capital of Europe.

I was delighted to visit the Fairtrade stand at the Scottish Parliament which included the first olive oil to carry the Fairtrade mark, which is produced by Palestinian farmers.


I attended the launch of Glasgow’s first Confucius Classroom at Hillhead High School. The Confucius Classroom will allow pupils to gain knowledge of the language and culture of China and will also be used to organise trips to China and develop links with Chinese people living in Scotland.


I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak at both Thornwood and Garnethill Community Councils. It is always a great means of hearing directly from Community Councils any issues they wish to raise, whether it is on Anti-Social Behaviour, public transport, housing or an issue specific to that area.


I have also lodged a motion in Parliament on the announcement that up to a quarter of journalists at the Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspapers are to lose their jobs following the decision to merge the two newsrooms. The Daily Record and Sunday Mail are iconic titles and among Scotland’s most read newspapers and I believe that such a reduction in staffing is likely to affect the quality of journalistic output. While we all recognise that this a turbulent period in the newspaper industry, these titles represent one of the more profitable parts of the industry and it is vitally important that the Newspaper Industry in general does not simply respond to new technologies and challenges by cutting jobs but works to ensure that Scotland continues to have a vibrant newspaper sector.


My colleague Jackie Baillie MSP’s Disabled Persons Parking Bill became law at the end of February, meaning that able bodied drivers who park in disabled spaces will now face a fine. I urge all drivers in Glasgow city-centre and the West End to respect the needs of disabled people and not use the parking spaces designated for them.

The main issue at First Minister’s Question Time was the SNP’s plan to present a Referendum Bill to Parliament. I would urge SNP ministers to put their plans for a referendum to one side and focus on boosting jobs. I think most people realise that we need to concentrate the country’s full efforts on economic growth and protecting Scotland from the recession. A referendum at this point would be an unhelpful distraction. I’m afraid it also shows what the SNP see as their priority. It's not protecting jobs and creating apprenticeships but spending time and resources arguing for independence. As Iain Gray pointed out, the SNP’s reason for ditching the Local Income Tax, only three weeks ago, was that they could not put together a majority in Parliament. This week, the Scottish Parliament rejected the First Minister’s planned Referendum Bill and the First Minister should respect the will of parliament again. Last year, Labour offered the First Minister a chance to hold his referendum. However, that chance has now gone and Scotland wants all of us to concentrate all of our efforts on protecting jobs and supporting Scottish families and Scottish communities through the global economic downturn. The First Minister should put Scotland first and drop the Bill for now.


Thanks for stopping by.


Pauline McNeill MSP
for Glasgow Kelvin

Updated 6 March 2009

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