Scottish Labour candidate for the Central Scotland Region: This website was established while I was a Member of the Scottish Parliament. As the Parliament has been dissolved there are no Members of Parliament until after the election on 5 May 2016
I was pleased to join Councillors from North and South Lanarkshire outside the Scottish Parliament last week to protest against SNP cuts to our local councils.
The point of the rally was to make it clear that Labour Councillors and Labour MSPs do not believe we should simply be passive recipients of UK budget decisions.
If you agree, sign the Scottish Labour Party petition here:http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/page/s/no-more-local-cuts
Siobhan McMahon (Central Scotland) (Lab):
The debate is important for our Parliament. Like many of my colleagues across the Parliament, I want to focus on how the Parliament can foster economic growth, not as a means to an end in itself but as a means of encouraging our constituents to reach their potential and reap the financial rewards.
I start on a positive note. I think that members of all parties accept the principle of a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and that in that regard the Government’s commitment to promoting the living wage in the private sector is worth while and ought to be commended. We know that more than 400,000 Scots are paid less than the living wage. Around 51,000 of those people live in Central Scotland, the region that I represent. A living wage would mean, on average, an annual wage rise of more than £2,600 for every one of those people who is in a full-time position.
I know that I am not the only parliamentarian who has heard from employees and employers about the benefits of the living wage, not just for the workforce, which receives more equitable wages, but for employers. Research from the Poverty Alliance suggests that there is a direct correlation between the living wage being paid and a 25 per cent fall in absenteeism, that there is a positive impact on recruitment and retention and that some 80 per cent of employers think that paying a living wage enhanced the quality of staff’s work. The cabinet secretary acknowledged that in his speech. We know that the economic benefits of the living wage are impressive. Staff who receive the pay increase are likely to spend the money in their communities and on the businesses on which we rely for our economy to prosper.
However, the Government’s record on the living wage is not perfect. It is true that the Scottish Government is a living wage employer; it is rightly praised for that. However, many of the less glamorous jobs in the Scottish Government’s offices are outsourced to private sector companies, who are under no obligation to pay our cleaners, janitors or kitchen staff the living wage, despite it being something that the people for whom they cater and clean take for granted.
Scottish Labour has in the past introduced proposals in Parliament calling on the Scottish Government to rectify that situation. The proposals, which were supported by trade unions and charities alike across civic Scotland, demanded that the Government use its powers over procurement to promote the living wage in the private sector. However, the Government rejected them, in contrast to the stated aim of its motion: the desire to build a better, fairer Scotland in which our growing economy is used to improve the condition of the low paid.
I am pleased to speak in support of Jackie Baillie’s amendment. It reiterates our values and priorities, nowhere more so than in the last line, which states:
“the foundation of Scotland’s economic strategy must be a successful education policy and that therefore tackling educational inequality must not only be a political priority but also a spending priority.”
Our new leader Kezia Dugdale has spoken eloquently in the chamber and outside it about the need to ensure that our schools are world-class centres of learning, and she has argued strongly that we should not settle for standards remaining “satisfactory”.
I will take this opportunity to talk about school leavers, and to challenge once again the Scottish Government’s position on further education. As someone who went from high school to college and then on to university, I can personally attest to the importance of our college sector in preparing young people either for work or, as in my case, for higher education.
We know that it is predominantly people from less affluent backgrounds who go to colleges. With that in mind, it is difficult to understand how the Government can claim to be pursuing an economic strategy
“characterised by inclusive growth and opportunities for all”,
given that there are now 140,000 fewer Scots going to college than when the Government took office. As John Pentland and Mark Griffin said, we need to do more in that area to tackle the attainment gap, which the Government views as a priority.
As members know, I am passionate about seeking equality for disabled people in our society. It is for that reason that I submitted a freedom of information request last month to all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities asking for the number of staff that they employ in schools who are specifically trained to support pupils with additional support needs. I found that the number of those staff members had declined in 22 of the 32 authorities, representing an overall drop from 3,363 in 2012 to 2,963 in 2014 across Scotland. I urge the Scottish Government to investigate the matter urgently as part of its overall growth strategy. How can we as legislators hope to maximise the economic and societal potential of some of our most vulnerable people when, as they increase in number, we cut the specialist support that is available to them?
The Scottish children’s services coalition has already warned that the cuts to support staff could lead to the prospect of
“a lost generation of young people”.
We can add to that the fact that children who are identified as having additional support needs disproportionately come from lower-income families and areas of high deprivation. We must remove barriers, and not allow them to stay up.
I have previously called on the Government to use the public sector socioeconomic duty to properly scrutinise the legislation that it makes. I believe that the area that I have just highlighted is a perfect example of where the Government could use that duty.
Before I moved to my new position in the Scottish Labour finance team, I was the party’s spokesperson for women’s employment. It would therefore be remiss of me not to at least touch on the issue of how we can better encourage growth with maximum societal benefits by opening up metaphorical doors for women.
The fact that, in the 2012 flagship modern apprenticeship programme, 98 per cent of construction apprentices were male and 97 per cent of childcare apprentices were female has often been brought up in the chamber, and rightly so. It goes to show what can happen if care is not taken to maximise the potential of everyone in our society.
There is little doubt that Scotland’s jobs of the future lie in the STEM sector, as other members have mentioned. It is no secret that the levels of occupational segregation in that corner of the economy are staggering. Last year, only 68 engineering apprentices were female. In 2015, the Government’s “Maximising Economic Opportunities for Women in Scotland” report demonstrated that 73 per cent of female STEM graduates did not work in their respective fields after graduation.
A few months ago, I said:
“It used to be that advances in science and technology liberated women, but now they have the potential to hold them back.”—[Official Report, 2 June 2015; c 42.]
I never followed up by saying—as in retrospect I should have done—that the situation would also hold back our economic growth and aspirations for inclusive growth and opportunities for all.
Few members in the chamber would oppose economic growth, but economic growth for the sake of it is a rather hollow ambition. The Government has taken some encouraging steps in its Scottish economic strategy to broaden the spectrum of beneficiaries of growth in Scotland, but we believe that it must be bolder.
Our Parliament has significant powers over procurement and other areas that have yet to be utilised. We have full control over all matters concerning education, and as the Opposition it is our responsibility to say that the Government has thus far failed to use those powers to promote opportunities for all. The Scottish Government should not have to come out and tell us what its political priorities are: those should be evident in its budget and legislation. At the moment, they simply are not.
The voting age for Scottish elections has been lowered to 16.
This means that if you’re 16 or over on 5 May 2016, you’ll be able to vote at the Scottish Parliamentary Election (as well as in future local government elections).
You just need to register first. It only takes a few minutes and you can do it online at http://www.gov.uk/registertovote.
During the week of 7 – 11 September schools and colleges across Scotland will be helping 15-17 year old students register to vote by taking time out to get #in during class time.
You’ll need to provide your date of birth and bring your National Insurance number to school that day (you will only need your National Insurance number if you are 16 or over), which you can find on official documents such as letters from HM Revenue and Customs. Otherwise, for help you can visit: gov.uk/ lost-national-insurance-number.
This week (19th-25th May) is National Epilepsy Week and to show my support for the cause, I joined my fellow MSPs for a group photo which highlighted this years ‘many faces of epilepsy’ theme.
Epilepsy is still the most common, serious neurological condition in the world but it impacts each person’s life in a unique and individual way. Epilepsy affects men, women and children of all ages from every ethnic group and social status. The outlook is brighter for the half whose seizures are well managed with medication. The picture is less rosy for almost a fifth whose epilepsy care could be further improved while the remainder face a difficult time, as do their families and carers, due to uncontrolled seizures.
Epilepsy Scotland is calling on the Scottish Government to tackle this treatment gap and enable seven in 10 people with epilepsy who could become seizure free to receive optimum care. This would save the NHS money and afford an improved quality of life for thousands of families up and down the country. According to Epilepsy Scotland’s 2011 manifesto, an estimated 9,750 people with epilepsy could become seizure free if their condition was better managed. This would save the NHS around £2.36 million a year.
I want to help tackle this issue. I am happy to be one of the many faces of epilepsy supporters in Scotland and to develop greater public awareness and understanding of epilepsy.
I am deeply concerned to learn of some of the projects that have been granted funding in 2012/13 in order to tackle sectarianism in Scotland.
I asked this question as we must be proactive in tackling the scourge of sectarianism. We must look beyond the football stadium and acknowledge that the way to break this societal cycle is to educate young people from an early age in its ills. I was disappointed that rather than outlining educational programmes on offer the Minister directed people to a website. I believe this approach is wholly unsatisfactory and does nothing to comprehensively tackle the underlining societal problems which allow sectarianism to flourish.
It is incumbent on the Government to provide a comprehensive agenda to tackle sectarianism, with education at its heart. Sectarianism is not an innate quality, it is learned and can with proper educational programmes in place, be eradicated from our society. The administration is complacent on this issue; by directing anti-sectarian resources through the internet, teachers are missing out on the classroom resources to tackle the problem.
Further to this point, I submitted a question, which can be viewed on the link below at 34 minutes and 52 seconds:
On 15 March 2013 I asked the Government to break down which projects it has funded to tackle sectarianism in each of the last two years, the written answer from Roseanna Cunningham MSP can be found below:
It is clear that education is not the priority of the Scottish Government. Nearly £800,000 has been awarded to the Football Co-ordination Unit Scotland (FoCUS) clearly demonstrating that this Government thinks that sectarianism originates in the Football Ground. We will never tackle the scourge of sectarianism in our society with such an approach. This is not only worrying but highly depressing.
Further to this some of the organisations that have been awarded funding in 2012-13 have no proven track record in this field. I hope that the Scottish Government will now provide an answer as to why substantial amounts of money were awarded to these groups in favour of those who have been working in this field, with success, for years.
I believe the Government is guilty of complacency on this issue. The Offensive Behaviour Act does not make any attempt to address the underlying societal problems which lead to sectarianism. Government must redirect resources to the classroom to stamp out this problem as quickly as possible.
I am extremely disappointed that, despite my pleas to SNP Members to vote with their consciences, and in the face of widespread political and public opposition, they voted on masse to pass the Scottish Government’s deeply flawed Offensive Behaviour and Threatening Communications Bill.
As I pointed out in my speech during the Stage 3 Debate, the Bill fails to offer any definition of what constitutes sectarian or offensive behaviour. It is far too narrow, and does not advance any strategy for dealing with sectarianism in a broader societal context.
One requires only the most cursory knowledge of Scottish football to appreciate that whilst some songs, chants and slogans are brazenly aggressive and discriminatory, others are not. The police already have powers to arrest people for offensive acts at football games; powers which they repeatedly fail to exercise.
Whatever new powers we grant them, the police will never eradicate sectarianism in football grounds, as they are dealing with symptoms, not causes. Until we recognise that sectarianism is a societal problem that requires a sophisticated response, we will never overcome it.
In stark contrast to this Bill, Scottish Labour’s 11 point Action Plan features a raft of innovative proposals, including a comprehensive review of how educators can promote religious and cultural tolerance.
Perhaps we could start by not denying football supporters their democratic right to sit in the public gallery of the Scottish Parliament Chamber for the innocuous offence of wearing t-shirts bearing the collective slogan “Fans not Criminals”. I do not know who was responsible for this outragous decision – although I have my suspicions – and I will be very interested to see what the Presiding Officers have to say for themselves.
The only way that we will rid ourselves of sectarianism is to broadcast the message, loud and clear: in 21st Century Scotland, sectarianism, like racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia, is utterly unacceptable.
The debate can be viewed in full here.
I am pleased that Alex Salmond has extended the consultation period for the proposed Offensive Behaviour and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill for an additional 6 months.
Sectarianism has been a serious problem in Scottish society since the influx of Irish-Catholic immigrants in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Whilst I applaud the Government’s determination to take swift action, the delicate and longstanding nature of the problem suggests it is unlikely to be solved by a piece of legislation rushed through in two weeks.
I spoke about the problem of Sectarianism during a recent Member’s Debate, and was at pains to point out that any legislation must be backed by educational initiatives. It is not enough to punish those guilty of Sectarian abuse; we must eradicate once and for all the narrow and jaundiced attitudes that provide such fertile ground for bigotry and prejudice.
There is nothing wrong with having pride in a particular set of religious or cultural values; however, we must recognise this as a right that everyone is entitled to.
The disappointment and anger of North Lanarkshire residents at the decision by Government reporters to grant planning permission for a new waste incinerator near Coatbridge is entirely understandable. I fully support their position, as I made clear during my recent speech in Parliament.
North Lanarkshire Council rejected Shore Energy’s application on the basis that it would adversely affect the health of local people and exacerbate traffic congestion at the Shawhead interchange. But despite a vigorous campaign co-ordinated by Monklands Residents Against Pyrolysis Plant, and local 6000 objections, Government reporters overturned the decsion.
Government minister’s Jim Mather and Aileen Campbell have both expressed opposition to energy-from-waste facilities, and Alex Neil claims the SNP has ‘opposed this application since day one.’
Given this, I would have thought the Government would be keen to exercise its right to reject Shore Energy’s appeal, as it is empowered to do under The Town and Country Planning (Determination of Appeals by Appointed Persons) (Prescribed Classes) (Scotland) Regulations 1987. Inexplicably, ministers refused to intervene.
This plant is not right for the environment, and not fair on local residents. We must not allow North Lanarkshire to become the dumping ground of Scotland.
I am glad to see North Lanarkshire pupils in the vanguard of the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Heartstart UK Schools Training Programme.
Since 2008 secondary school pupils throughout North Lanarkshire have benefited from ann
ual 2 hour training sessions in Emergency Life Saving (ELS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) techniques. The programme is delivered by a North Lanarkshire Council Heartstart Co-ordinator who oversees training and provides advice and support to schools across the region.
Heart Disease remains Scotland’s biggest killer and, for every second that passes without CPR, the chances of survival are reduced by 10%. However, immediate CPR can triple the chances of survival.
I have lodged a Parliamentary Motion congratulating the British Heart Foundationand North Lanarkshire Council for their efforts in this area, and urging other Scottish local authorities to follow suit and ensure that this vital training is available to pupils across the country.
Siobhan McMahon for Central Scotland 