SNP EDUCATION POLICY

WHAT A JOKE

I am not long back from work and I have been checking out the news on the BBC website and happened to notice the SNP's new education announcement, what struck me the most -apart from it falling short of their election promises- was that they have said that the Scottish Executive will absorb the £9 Million cost involved without telling you where they are getting it from?

As my gran used to say 'It was worth a try' but how long did they think they would get away with doing this?

In other not so new news, the SNP's transport policy is going down the drain after their previous announcements that they would scrap the trams and rail link in Edinburgh (no they would look at them, no they would scrap them, fiasco) the Auditor has come back pretty much saying that the only problem with the Rail link is that key decisions have yet to be made, pretty much down to the SNP floundering then! They were desperate to have the Edinburgh trams stopped saying we could spend the money better (before the auditor had actually come to any decisions that is), now what will be the tune?

CUSTOMER SERVICE?

MOBILE PHONES

I am sure there are mobile phone networks that are really good at customer services but the one I am with (who for the moment shall remain nameless) is absolutely awful!! I have spent a total of two hours on hold over the last two months trying to get a decent upgrade for my phone (once for half an hour on the option I am THINKING of cancelling my contract), I have been with them for sometime and spend a significant amount of money with them (I rarely use my home phone) and they are still moaning about it, they even went as far as to give me the code I need to transfer my number over to someone else.

It got me thinking though, I spend a fair amount on my mobile and I have been looking around for a better deal always keeping in mind that I have to check the signal for the areas that I am most likely to be in first, and there are some great deals out there, from unlimited texts and calls at the weekends to free mobile Internet for two months, yet something is missing. Is it just me or have the UK mobile phone companies yet to convince the UK population that the service is about more than the phone? I want a Nokia N95 (Highly unlikely that I will end up getting one) and have been looking around as to who will give me one Free of Charge, then looking at the deals they offer, for me it is the functionality of the handset then the network deal.

You can see they are trying to move away from this towards the service they provide you only have to look at the most recent adverts by T-Mobile and Orange concentrating on the web and walk and pay as you go reserve tank respectively, did you hear a phone make or model mentioned? I understand why they do it, but I must admit I think they are on a losing battle at least one of the networks has been doing this for about three years and as yet they have been largely unsuccessful because when your contract is up all you want to know is.... What kind of new phone can I get and is it free?

BREAST FEEDING IN PUBLIC

EQUALITY LAW

I was delighted to see the new Equality Law includes legislation to allow women the legal right to breast feed in public, a right that Scottish women already have thanks to the previous Labour led Scottish Executive. As a Councillor one of the things that I developed an interest in was the rates of breast feeding throughout Renfrewshire and the correlation that this had between poverty and ill health, it was appalling, however, with the Breast Feeding awareness information and groups that have been planned by the promotion service the rate has increased significantly in some areas. The Scottish Neighbour Statistics and the Scottish Health profiles record this data and anyone interested can visit the website of the Office of National Statistics or the Scottish Executive.

The right to breast feed without getting asked to leave a cafe or restaurant is important, it is not just the babies that need socialisation but the mothers as well and sometimes getting out for a coffee (decaf of course) is a major release, sometimes going shopping is a major release and you cannot tell the baby to wait till it gets home. I for one am 100% behind this and hope that all parties can agree with at least this section of the legislation.

GUINESS CAKE AND BIRTHDAYS

BIRTHDAY CAKE

In our house you knew it was a birthday when the Guinness cake came out and so because one of the girls at work had a birthday today my mum made a cake! I know some of my old colleagues from T-Mobile will be raging at this point because they used to love it, I keep meaning to put on the recipe however the cake and scones went down really well.

So happy birthday (you know who you are!) have a nice night and enjoy yourself.

AND NOW WE'RE FAMOUS

MOLLY AND BESSIE AT PLAY

So this is the first video clip that I have been able to upload on youtube of the girls at play, I know it is probably going to come out wrong (the video clip might be on it's side! Ideas on how to fix this without having to re take it are gratefully received). So enjoy!

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION POLL

THIS WEEKS POLL

I realised recently that I did not introduce the new poll on the left hand side of the page, it seems to be getting a bit of interest anyway, but the question is an important one, so have your say,

Do you think that proportional representation gives a disproportionate amount of power to the smaller parties?

Go on results will be released towards the end of the month leaving this one up a little longer as it is really important.

READING LIST

JOURNEY'S AND BREAKS

Because I take the bus to work , I picked up the first book I could find in the flat this morning to read to and from work and while I was on my breaks, and it just happened to be 'Don't Ever Tell' by Kathy O'Beirne. I think a friend loaned me it a while back (don't worry Pauline you will get it back) and I never got round to reading it, so glad I picked it up today it is fab, depressing but fab, there were a few times where it made my skin crawl and I am only a quarter of the way through it.

Simply put it is an excellently written piece and well worth the read, I would recommend it to Cardinal Keith O'Brien who has been talking a lot lately about the Catholic Church's role in child protection (whether they be born or unborn) yet another reason why he should not get involved in the political debate your past always comes back to bite you. Before the zealots attack me I am being a little flippant but that is because I am angered by the Cardinal's statements last week and his inability to take other people's feelings into account.

FIRST DAYS

NERVOUS? ME?

I have chaired public meetings with over 100 people at them, I have dealt with angry constituents baying for blood, but when it comes to starting a new job I must admit I did feel a little nervous.

As it turns out there was no need they are all lovely (and I am not just saying this because someone threatened to google me) and a really good laugh, looking forward to going back tomorrow.

JOB HUNT

I HAVE A JOB

This is because I know you are all really worried about me being unemployed and all, I was offered a job yesterday, don't want to say too much about it till I start and get settled in but I am delighted.

Will try and get back into the swing of blogging in the next couple of weeks, have been a bit lazy about it all lately.

EAST END PARKING SCHEME

PAISLEY TOWN HALL

At the Paisley East End Parking Scheme Public Hearing many local people got the opportunity to object to the current proposals for changing parking in the East End of Paisley.

The reporter, Patrick Hetherington, will weigh the evidence and make his report to the council in the near future.

Local councillor Jim Sharkey called for 2 permits for those households and businesses that require them. He said...

"Having listened to all the evidence I am convinced that working families will be penalised unless the council is prepared to move on the issue of 2 free permits to each of the residents and I feel a powerful case was made by the local businesses to have the same. I am especially pleased that the council is going to make the disabled parking spaces mandatory. That upgrades the provision for disabled people in the area and I welcome that."

Local activist Rayleen Kelly said...

"I’m glad that the Labour councillors are agreeing with my campaign to have more than one permit and that the permit must be free and I hope that the issue of visitors’ parking will be similarly considered. I am more worried about the former transport spokesperson of the SNP’s involvement in case he revives his 1997 plan to charge £10 for the residents’ permits."

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

MOLLY AND BESSIE THE WONDER DOGS

At a meeting last week a few of my ex constituents mentioned that they read my blog and asked how Molly and Bessie were getting on, so I decided to take a few more photos of the girls and post them.

The above is Molly on the couch taking up as much room as possible, she has been known to kick you off the couch if you start to get into her space.

Below is Bessie, she sits on the top of the couch watching everything going on and leaping off the chair to bark at anything and everything, that and nothing! She is having a running fight with a Magpie in the back garden who sits on the porch roof to annoy her!

MINIMUM WAGE

CHECK THIS OUT

Saw this today in the Guardian and thought that it was interesting the main point is that the minimum wage introduced by the Labour Government has made a major impact on the lives of low paid workers, a lot done and a lot more to do, check it out if you get a chance.

SSP SURVIVAL

FINANCIAL REALITY

Given that the SSP now no longer have ANY MSPs and therefore do not have the money from these MSPs I am wondering if they will survive for very long? They will have lost at least £140,000 a year (at least according to their own admission, half of the MSPs salary went towards the parties coffers). So it will be interesting to see if they are able to survive without it, don't get me wrong I am not suggesting that I want them to fail but given the likes of Ms Kane and others previously spouting the nonsense that they didn't take the whole allowance it will certainly be interesting to see if they can continue without it.

SNP LOST IT'S LEAD

MATERNITY LEAVE

OK quick post, but how many other people think it is rich of the SNP to go on about how other parties should not take advantage of the fact that one of their members will shortly be on maternity leave given that they were the ones to pull out of the pairing arrangement?

For those that don't know the pairing arrangement is where opposition members are paired off and if there is an illness or maternity leave the corresponding member does not vote, the SNP pulled out of this arrangement in Holyrood, now it seems they may come to regret it.