Report to the People

Not Just for Christmas

Well that’s that over for another year. The turkey’s eaten, the relatives are back at a safe distance and, thrown into drawers, cupboards, or (if you’ve got absolutely no shame) the small ads or eBay, are the gifts in which you’ve already lost interest... (more) 

Domestic Politics

If, as I’ve argued in the past, the law should stay out of family life wherever possible, then politics should, wherever possible, stay out of family law... (more)

Bounds of Possibility

The sad death of Tony Connolly, a good friend and colleague to many of us, cast a shadow over last week.  As his immediate family and his wider trade union and Labour Party family know well, he was never one to sit back and rest when he thought things could be improved... (more)

Talk Saves Lives

With the exception of the morbid few, none of us likes talking about death. Although it comes to us all, it’s one of these taboo subjects we don’t like to face head-on.  Even the language we use to describe it - “passing away”, “departing”, “checking out” - is euphemistic... (more)

Making the Difference

The recent row about whether St. Andrew’s Day should be a public holiday has, if nothing else, reminded us when it is.  (Wednesday, now that you ask.) ... (more)

Filling Cavities

After all the talk about drinking during Wednesday’s proceedings on the Licensing Bill, MSPs rinsed their mouths out on Thursday with a debate on NHS dentistry... (more)

Bad Arguments go up in Smoke

A bad argument, like a bad suit, falls apart when pressed... (more)

Restoring Confidence

While the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the tragic death of Chloe McIver found that her death could not have been avoided, it does highlight serious weaknesses in maternity services as a whole. .. (more)

The Right Prescription

At least in politics you can’t complain there’s a lack of variety.  Fresh from Tuesday night’s public meeting on redrawing the Health Board boundaries, I headed back to Edinburgh to welcome the Shielhill Wednesday Club to Holyrood, before enjoying the dubious honour of, wearing my Corporate Body hat, commending our riveting report on the Non-Executive Bills Unit to MSPs... (more)

Train of Thought

If you’re a commuter, how long do you spend sitting idle in queues of traffic over, say, the course of a week? ... (more)

Weathering the Storm

Our usual October complaints about the weather are certainly put into perspective when we see the devastation caused by the Pakistan earthquake or Hurricane Katrina... (more)

10th October

Health Equality

Holyrood’s newest MSP - Cathcart by-election victor, Charlie Gordon - wasn’t the only new face in the Scottish Parliament last week.  On Tuesday, the debating chamber played host to leading philanthropists, who were being honoured at the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy ceremony - the first time the prestigious event has been held in Scotland... (more)

Bailed Out

Filed in my office under Y, for “You Couldn’t Make it Up”, are examples of when bureaucracy beggars belief.  And near the top of the pile are cases featuring the bail system... (more)

Setting Sail for a Brighter Future

One of the best things about politics is the range of people you meet.  True, you need to deal with all sorts of characters whose motives are far from pure and selfless, but you also encounter many more thoroughly decent individuals who are determined to make sacrifices so that they can make a difference... (more)

Ask the Family

There’s always going to be tension when family life and the law meet.  People, naturally, resent the idea of the state interfering in their private affairs... (more)

The Far From Light Programme

The Scottish Parliament might be one of the world’s youngest, but it is already developing its own traditions.  One of these is that, at the start of every session, the Executive sets out its legislative programme which MSPs then debate - a sort of Queen’s Speech without men in tights (well, none that we know about)... (more)

Vote of Confidence

Before it flared up again last week, I confess I’d forgotten all about the Conservative leadership race... (more)

Volunteer Nominations

One of the advantages of the parliamentary recess is that you have a chance to catch up on what you miss when in Holyrood... (more)

Having done battle with them for years as they’ve tried to fillet our hospital, I thought NHS Argyll and Clyde’s behaviour couldn’t get any worse... (more) 

An Outbreak of Irresponsibility

Not that you’re counting the hours or anything, but it’s only a day (well, a day and a bit), until the kids go back to school... (more)

Care in the Committee

"A camel is a horse designed by committee," said Alec Issigonis (famed designer of the Morris Minor and Mini) of the joys of committee working ... (more)

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation

If you can answer the question "what is good government?" in a sentence, "getting best value for public money" might be a contender.  One thing which is certainly not good value is basing your civil service in an economic hot-spot like Edinburgh... (more)

Sign up for Safer Streets

If you’ve already signed the petition demanding action on knife crime, then thank you very much.  The response so far has been great and, if it keeps up at this rate, will leave the Justice Minister in no doubt that our community wants the law toughened up... (more)

Bringing it Home to Rogue Landlords

I see Irvine Welsh was caught out last week, condemning the “yuppification” - regeneration to you and I - of Leith, while living in a luxury flat in a regenerated part of Dublin... (more)

Not Diverted

It’s hard to find words strong enough to describe the terrorist atrocities in London last week.   That these twisted bombers would indiscriminately attack the very same British people who were uniting under the Make Poverty History banner - campaigning against oppression and injustice around the world and putting pressure on world leaders at the G8 summit to give the poorest a better deal - shows just how morally bankrupt they are... (more)

Smart Thinking

I’ve heard of smart cards and smart bombs, but smart water? Not, apparently, water that can make itself into a cup of tea, but a crime prevention device, thanks to which, 16 laptops stolen from St Patrick’s Primary have been recovered and identified... (more)

So you’re bored and there’s nothing on telly.  What do you do?  Go for a pint?  Read the paper?  What about phoning the fire brigade, falsely reporting a fire, then, when they turn up, taking pot-shots at them from your window with an airgun?  ... (more)

Like any commuter, fighting my way along the M8 in the pouring rain, hoping the clown sitting 2 inches from my bumper won’t smash into the boot, or sitting in traffic on the Kingston Bridge admiring what passes for the view, is hardly the highlight of my working day... (more)

G8 Opportunity

Finance Minister, Tom McCabe was almost as busy as Scotland keeper, Craig Gordon last week... (more)

Worst Value

The unprecedented scale of managerial and political failure revealed by the Accounts Commission’s damning report on Inverclyde Council is outrageous and concerning, but, I’m sorry to say, not altogether surprising... (more)

Radical Response

That two men called Kerr agree with each other doesn’t sound like an earth-shattering political development.  But last week’s announcement by Health Minister, Andy Kerr, that he backs Professor David Kerr’s report on the future shape of the NHS signals a radical shift in Scottish health policy... (more)

Bold Move the Way Forward

I doubt that the Health Minister's announcement that NHS Argyll and Clyde is for the chop was the most surprising news you heard last week.  Given the board's performance over the years, the Minister was left with no choice but to put it out of its misery... (more)

Furthering Education

Isn’t May a great month?  Some of the year’s best weather, a sprinkling of long weekends and plenty of top sport on the box. Great, that is, unless you’ve got exams... (more)

With the General Election all over bar the shouting (which, on past experience, will probably last until the next one), you might think you can sit down to enjoy your tea in peace... (more)

Don’t Make Excuses

The sad, untimely death of our friend and colleague, Jim Sutherland, cast a long shadow over last week.  It’s probably cold comfort, but I hope that his family can find some solace in the fact that he was so well liked and well respected... (more)

Scrap the Board?

Structures are not the solution to difficulties in the NHS, but they can be part of the problem... (more)

Healthy Debate

Conscious that, at this moment, the conclave to decide the successor to Pope John Paul II should be taking place, I hesitate to describe any goings on at Holyrood as “historic.” ... (more)

The Wedding Business

They might have lost my invitation in the post, but I nevertheless sent my best wishes to Charles and Camilla on their big day... (more)

The revelation, contained in the latest figures from the Registrar General, that Inverclyde has the highest rate of stillbirths and perinatal deaths in Scotland is profoundly alarming – as is the news that the numbers are rising... (more)

If you’re still at school and haven’t learnt it yet, today you are going to be taught the lesson entitled “the double-edged sword.” ... (more)

It’s always perilous for a politician to try to look trendy.  As William Hague’s infamous baseball cap proved, a desire to appear “down with the kids” will, more often than not, backfire spectacularly... (more)

Elder Abuse

In common with what seems like most of Greenock, I spent last week floored by that particularly nasty bug which seems to be all the rage at the moment. If every cloud has a silver lining, though, a few days of feeling rotten and being unable to get out of bed does make you appreciate your health.  It also helps you imagine the difficulties faced by those for whom infirmity is more than a brief, occasional inconvenience... (more)

Still as Fresh One Year On?

The First Minister couldn’t have picked a better place to mark the first  anniversary of the Fresh Talent Initiative than our own IBM... (more)

Being the egalitarian place that it is, the Scottish Parliament likes to give everyone a turn.  Which is why, last Thursday, the Green Party got to call a debate on ID cards.  (Don’t ask me what this had to do with the environment.  I sat through most of it and am still no clearer.) ... (more)

Hitting the Dealers Where it Hurts

The enthusiasm of local residents when, along with David Cairns and the police, I went to the Mallard Bowl to back Councillor McKenzie’s drive to re-start the area’s Neighbourhood Watch scheme was heartening.  It’s good to know that a community has the confidence to fight back against crime... (more)

Kicking the Habit

As part of its scrutiny of the Executive’s controversial plans to ban smoking in pubs, the Parliament’s Health Committee last week met in Ireland to assess how the ban there is faring... (more)

Expert Judgement

The distance between both sides of the schools row makes the gaps in the Dundee United back line last Wednesday look like hairline cracks... (more)

Committee Backs Our Arguments

Everyone who has campaigned against the downgrading of the IRH – and against the centralisation of health services across Scotland in general – can allow themselves a small, if rare, smile this week... (more)

Learning is Order of the Day

Most of us have working environments which are fairly stressful and hectic. But can you imagine, instead of just being interrupted by stupid emails from head office every 5 minutes, or having to listen to Doreen from accounts tell everyone with whom she has a telephone conversation the same pointless anecdote about her children, you had to try to work in noisy chaos, punctuated periodically with shouts of abuse aimed at the boss from the headbangers up the back?... (more)

New Protection Powers

Some of the most distressing stories to emerge in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami disaster have been those concerning the attempted exploitation and even sale of orphaned children by unscrupulous criminals... (more)

Doing the Honours

Along with a number of selfless and hardworking local people, Gourock sculptor, George Wyllie, was recognised in the New Year honours, receiving a long-overdue MBE... (more)

All the Best for 2005

Happy New Year! As traditional at this time of year as pledging to exercise every day and drink nothing stronger than mineral water, is predicting the highlights of the twelve months ahead. (A task made slightly easier this year by the fact we don’t need to worry about how any Scottish sides will fare in the latter stages of European football competitions.)... (more)