SNP Councillor Drew Hendry

We have kicked off something of a political stooshie in the Highlands over the past weeks.
The Lib Dems are furious. With the words barely out of our mouths, we have been labelled as wastrels and accused of “empty rhetoric”, the Independents, too, are most upset. It is politics gone too far they have stated. It is not what the Highlands are about. You can feel the seethe and rage at our sheer impertinence. The very cheek of it.

What is this shameless act which has stirred the passion of those in the Lib Dems who say they believe, indeed, champion localism? What has caused the Independent group of Councillors, self proclaimed champions of the local issues to develop a new strategy to fight this change?
Here it is. Hold on to your socks…

We have made a commitment to return decision making through area committees to local councillors in their communities. We have dared to suggest that Highland Council’s steady drift to central control over local spend should be halted and that local views should be heard.

The SNP have produced a plan to govern Highlands with a vision that delivers real power – and, more importantly, real responsibility to locally elected Councillors. Our vision is of a new structure that frees representatives of areas such as Lochaber, Caithness and the others to make their own demands and find their own solutions. We can deliver all of this without spending new money on the change but simply reconfiguring existing resources in the same manner as the SNP Government have been able to deliver more from less at Holyrood.

For the first time, since becoming a City, Inverness can take charge of its own affairs and gain the ability to energise the local economy through a City Committee with real teeth, a budget and the ability to take control of a City region strategy, vital to the future of its people and businesses including those living in its rural areas such as Loch Ness and Culloden.

Roads are particularly vital in Highland and the acceleration of decay on local Highland roads has been caused by reckless decisions to cut gully cleaning and watercourse maintenance in the Inverness Council Chambers, ask almost anyone in their local areas, it is blindingly obvious that this leads to even more road damage and costs more in the longer term. Under a local Committee the public would be able to challenge their representatives directly on their choices and highlight the errors much more directly. Under the Independent/Lib Dem/Labour watch, and the “sticking plaster” nature of the repair schedule all the public has seen is money, literally being washed down the drain (well okay, metaphorically, the financial drain is never blocked and never needs to be maintained).

Within hours of our announcement though, a sadly predictable response came from the Liberal Democrats, a party supposed to be in favour of “localism”. An SNP proposal had come forward so, naturally, it must be automatically resisted. Without even hearing the details, they sought to scare the Highland public about the pledge. They said that it would cost over a million pounds and would require 40 new middle management positions none of this based on the facts of our proposals, of course. Another Lib Dem Councillor suggested that whilst the Lib Dems could be trusted, that the SNP would not deliver on its Manifesto promises. Students and others will stop laughing shortly, I am sure. To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, the more they talk about honour, the faster we should count the spoons.

The response from the Independents was charmingly daft though, bless. The Independent Group, which has formed a coalition with the Lib Dems and Labour and now has the strictest of standing orders enforced by a group whip (they have already kicked genuine Indie Lochaber Cllr Bill Clark out for not toeing the party line) have now decided to invest £300 each to produce a Highland wide Independent Group political leaflet saying, get this, “It is time to take the politics out of Highland Council”
How foul and sneaky of us to have a positive vision for the Highlands. It simply isn’t cricket old boy.
The “powers that be” would rather we left the governance of the Highlands where it is.

Their way, elected members can avoid direct responsibility for such shambles as the £14m poured down the drain on the unbelievably poorly handled and ultimately abandoned Caithness Heat and Power scheme. They can also avoid the rap for such issues as the estimated £13m pounds lost in roads improvements by failing to chase Tesco for a promised benefit payment for a new store in Inverness. It also allows people to be gentle about chasing the broken promise of Lib Dem MP Danny Alexander to get something done about Highland’s unfair (his words) £140m Housing debt held by the Westminster Treasury and denying hundreds of new council houses for the Highlands. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
The whole purpose of the SNP movement is to bring decision making closer to our people and we are doing that with a responsibility and a can do attitude that the public understand but the politically moribund cannot.

The more they tell us, be it in Highland or throughout Scotland, that we can’t deliver more for our people the more we will move to prove them wrong.

There were a few surprises to be found at the community, voluntary, clean up of Cnoc Na Rath (the burn) yesterday.
Amongst the items fished out were kitchen units, 3 large pit barbeque trays, dozens of bottles and cans, a whole bag of glass recycling, a clothes iron and, luckily for one volunteer, a five pound note!
Beauly is a beautiful village and the voluntary clean up speaks volumes for the local pride of the villagers.

I was delighted to help out as we cleaned up a significant stretch of the burn and removed quite a few “accidental dams”

If only the minority who, in some cases, must go out of their way to dump items would see the damage they are doing then maybe we would could see an end to this selfishness.

In the meantime, well done to all those who helped out- selflessly.

The Highland Council SNP Group have welcomed Press comments from Lib Dem Councillor Michael Foxley on the removal of the jobs threat to 344 Classroom Assistants in Highland. The comments followed a call by the SNP Group on Highland Council to use some of the 3.6 million pounds extra funding left after a “better than expected settlement from the Scottish Government” to remove the jobs threat. This also follows a series of changes over the past year, made to the original proposal to firstly, simply axe the jobs, then to have the jobs cuts justified by a “review” then to postpone the job cuts until after the review (but still retain the cuts as a driver) and finally, after much pressure from the public, educationalists and a concerted campaign by the SNP group, both through votes in the Council Chamber and in public, today’s comments.

Speaking after hearing the comments, SNP Council group Leader, Councillor Drew Hendry said “I have read what the Independent/Lib Dem/labour Administration leader has said in reaction to our call and, if confirmed in Council by his Independent and Labour partners, then this will be a relief to many. The most important thing is to welcome this declaration as the past year must have been a very hard one for Classroom Assistants with this threat hanging over them. We are delighted for these hard working employees that we can finally allow them to get on with their futures. However, the Administration have some hard questions to answer about the shambolic way that they have handled this and the distress to employees, schools, parents and pupils who must have all been fearing the worst throughout this time.” He added “We know that the public had spotted this folly right from the start and must praise the way the public, in particular, many Parent Councils have fought this proposal. Once this jobs threat is formally removed we will work to make sure that Highland Education is never threatened in this way again”

Highland News Report – http://www.highland-news.co.uk/News/Axe-lifted-from-Highland-classrooms-assistants-12012012.htm

Drew - "Honouring Burma veterans"

I was honoured to be asked to introduce Beauly Theatre Group’s production of “Andy’s War” and to welcome veterans of the campaign last Friday night.

The review featured songs from the war era, and was a mixture of uplifting and poignant moments.

It was an evening of fun but also an act of remembrance for those who served in Burma and, in particular the action, won on the same day as the D-Day landings, by the troops at Kohima. This action effectively halted the Japanese advance and, because of the headline grabbing activity in Europe the men never really received the public recognition for their bravery. Of course, the war in Burma was not just one engagement so it was fitting that other services from the campaign, in Navy and Air Force were also represented.

After some great performances – and surprising range – it was fascinating to relive the veterans experiences with them after the show. Former Pilot, Tom Smith, even told me how to get the best performance out of a Hurricane fighter plane. The other veterans, who all had amazing stories to their service, were Dr Leask, from Inverness, Walter Hibbert from Cannich and Alexander Campbell from Muir of Ord.

Locals in Foyers, South Loch Ness, were dismayed last week when they discovered that, due to an unpublicised change in vehicle type, that they were unable to get on to the bus which normally serves both pupils and paying passengers, leaving them stranded without transport.

After calls from the community to help I have asked the council to introduce an additional temporary bus for the next few weeks, to remedy the situation, whilst the council works with both the community and the coach operator, D and E to achieve a mutually acceptable, longer term solution.

It is vital that any changes proposed to what are effectively lifeline services that the people affected are fully involved. I will be working hard to make sure that lessons are learned and that a suitable option is put forward.

Highland Council officers will carry out an inspection later today (Monday) to see when the A862 can re-open. The road near Kirkhill remains closed with a diversion through Kirkhill Village, however, work carried out after Friday’s meeting and dry weather over the weekend has reduced the flooding on the road. More later.