Your collective efforts to protect our communities and NHS has been exemplary and has undoubtedly already saved lives and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. Even as we look toward a gradual easing of lockdown measures, it is clear that day to day life is going to be very different. Just as …
Your collective efforts have already saved lives Read More »
We all know the lockdown will come to an end. The answer everyone is looking for is when is that likely to be? It’s a question I’m asked by constituents every day – I even ask it myself. Frustratingly, there is no straight answer. We have never faced this kind of threat before, and public …
Jo Cox: her family did not deserve to lose her and she did not deserve to die Jo Cox MP is dead. Murdered, in cold blood, in the street, in her constituency. Anyone who heard her speak saw her with others, knew exactly what she stood for. Who knows what she would have gone on …
Showing up for others – the amazing groups and people working away in our community In addition to being at Westminster, my normal week involves crisscrossing the constituency hosting a raft of advice surgeries and listening to and helping people. Last week, Parliament wasn’t sitting, so I had a bit more time to spend visiting …
The Queen’s speech marked the start of a new parliament session at Westminster. With the forthcoming European referendum, the Governments programme for the new parliament session at appears to be, at best, light. It was more a story of what wasn’t included rather than what was. There was, however, one area of the speech that …
Great to see so many young people voting in the Scottish Parliament elections It would be remiss not to start this week’s column with a big thank you to everyone who took part in last week’s Scottish Parliament elections. Especially to the 16 and 17-year-olds voting for the first time. It was fantastic to see …
Anniversary of my election as your MP – a snapshot of a whirlwind year It’s almost a year since I took up my position as your MP. What a whirlwind year it has been too. Here and in Westminster, I have been very busy working, on your behalf, across all of the priorities that I …
Celebrate our unsung heroes this Volunteer Recognition Day I was reminded last week of when I was asked to present an award at an event in the Ironworks. It was for the “Highland Wildcats” our very own American football team in Inverness. Part of the ceremony involved a very moving tribute to Bette Paulin who …
Volunteer Recognition Day: Amazing and inspiring people in our community Read More »
£315 million City-Region Deal has been a topic of many discussions between friends, colleagues and businesses Recently in Coffee Affair – one of my favourite haunts, I was discussing our City-Region Deal with Father Andre, (priest for the Romanian community in the north of Scotland) when another patron of the coffee shop, Mary asked could …
City-Region Deal: an idea and ambition for our region Read More »
Chancellor’s Budget: More austerity and economic challenges lie ahead When the Chancellor for the Exchequer, George Osborne, stands up in the House of Commons this Wednesday to announce his latest budget, me and the people of the Highlands will no doubt draw our breath, expecting more bad news. We’ve come to expect austerity and economic …
