"Kelvin Latest" archive 2002

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Glasgow NHS Shakeup Fails to Address Key Concerns Patients and doctors have warned that a plan to modernise Glasgow's hospitals, approved by Scottish health minister Malcolm Chisholm, could leave the city short of beds and vital casualty provision. The Greater Glasgow Acute Services Review, which has taken three years to get to this stage, will see new investment at the Southern General, the Victoria and Royal Infirmaries, Gartnavel General, and Stobhill Hospital. While everybody is keen to see progress in modernising services, the Health Minister has not taken the opportunity to address some key concerns highlighted by the people of Glasgow. These include The proposed reduction in the number of acute beds across Glasgow The reduction of accident and emergency departments from 5 to 2 The provision of only one in-patient hospital in the whole of the South Side of the city These are concerns that will not go away. 18/8/02

Release your potential at Kelvin CA's Quiz Night & Disco
Sat 23rd November, 7.30pm till late, The Hut, 3A Port Street, Anderston
Tickets only £5, including buffet. Email for further details and tickets.
 

The "Party List" for the proportional element of the vote for next year's elections has now been finalised, and Sandra White has been ranked #1 on the Glasgow Region list. This achievement is an indication of the respect she commands among SNP activists in Glasgow, and will place her in good stead for her constituency campaign in Kelvin over the coming ten months.

Second place on the list went to Nicola Sturgeon MSP, followed Kelvin member Bill Kidd. Frank Rankin, another Kelvin activist was ranked fifth. 18/6/02

Read the latest edition of Sandra White MSP's parliamentary newsletter here. 30/6/02

We are now three quarters of the way through the first term of the devolved Scottish parliament, and the campaign is beginning to heat up for the elections on May 1st 2003. 1/5/02

Remember the vilification heaped on the SNP in 1999 when we said that we should not accept the 1p tax cut in the Budget then, but spend the money on public services? We were greeted with howls of derision, abuse and general mockery - by the Labour Party and all its henchmen. Now Gordon Brown increases tax by 1p, to pay for public services, and he’s hailed as a hero, a kind, considerate, far-seeing chap.

Yet the SNP's old Penny for Scotland policy (while far from ideal) was a reflection of the constraints of the Scottish Parliament, as only the Basic Rate could be varied there. Gordon Brown on the other hand has the entire tax system at his disposal, and could easily have introduced a more progressive tax increase instead of one which affects the poor as much as it does the rich. 18/4/02

Press releases from Sandra White MSP will now be available on this site. This will build into a useful resource highlighting local issues affecting the people of Kelvin and Glasgow, and how we see possible solutions to many of these problems through Scottish self-government.

The beginnings of the archive can be found here. 16/4/02

A Scotland-wide march and rally is being organised by the Scottish Coalition for Justice Not War, on Saturday 27th April. Assemble 11am George Square. 16/4/02

Privatisation to Go Ahead - An End to Council Housing in Glasgow The ballot on the sell-off of Glasgow's housing stock is over, and tenants have opted to transfer to a new private landlord, Glasgow Housing Association. The votes were as follows: YES 29,126 (58.3%) NO  20,836 (41.7%) turnout 64.4% The modest majority can be seen as a poor result for GHA, given the estimated £10million of public money poured into promoting a YES vote. It is clear that a substantial proportion of tenants were unconvinced about the proposals, and many of those who voted YES did so only because of the "bribes" they were effectively given regarding the writing off of the Council's £900m debt. It can only be hoped that the new landlords will put their tenants first, and will deliver all the improvements they have so far implied will be possible after the transfer. The SNP will be watching the situation with interest. 5/4/02 more >

Four Hundred Days

Our next opportunity to secure Independence for our nation is now less than 400 days away. The people of Scotland will go to the polls on May 1st 2003 to elect our new representitives for the second term of the Scottish Parliament. An SNP government will be able to negotiate our Independence settlement, giving Scotland an equal status to other nations, and allowing us to have a strong voice on the world stage for the first time in almost three hundred years. 28/3/0

First Steps Towards Local Government Reform

The Scottish Executive's White Paper on Local Government was published on 27th March. It effectively puts on hold the whole issue of fair voting until after the Scottish Parliament elections in 2003. It has taken the Lib-Lab Executive two years to even get this far.

The McIntosh and Kerley Reports both recommended a move to proportional representation to replace the present problematic system. But now we are only at the beginning of what is going to be a lengthy consultation exercise. This is just another excuse to delay the inevitable and now long overdue introduction of fair voting for Scottish local government elections.

For full details read the report on the Scottish Executive's site. 27/3/02

The £4bn pound plan to privatise Glasgow's council houses may be in breach of European competition law. A petition lodged at the European Parliament in Brussels asserts that the Scottish Executive unfairly favoured the sole bidder for the city's 78,000 houses, the Glasgow Housing Association. If the parliament agrees, it could lead to action by the European Commission that could jeopardise the whole project. Earlier this year, the executive offered to give the GHA a £300m interest-free loan to sort out cash flow problems expected in the early years after any transfer.

Sandra White MSP said, "The executive will try anything to get the housing out of public control. This is £300m of our money that could be used for health or education. No-one else asking for that kind of cash would ever get it." 23/3/02

Ballot Timetable The decision over the controversial plans to transfer Glasgow's council houses to a private trust will be made by tennants over the coming weeks. Ballot papers will be issued on 14th March, and the result announced on 5th April. Voting NO is not a vote for the status quo. Rejection of the privatisation will ensure the continued democratic control of Glasgow's social housing, with the support of its tenants. With the same investment opportunities the GHA are currently being given, Glasgow City Council will be able to provide far more effective and efficient improvements to its housing stock. The ballot effectively provides a choice between the abolition of council housing versus the improvement of council housing Make sure you use your postal ballot and vote NO. 11/3/02

Constituency Association Annual General Meeting

Kelvin CA's AGM was held on Wednesday 27th February, where our committee for the coming year was elected. 2/3/02

Talking Independence

The SNP's latest campaign theme was launched at National Council on 2nd March. Independence is what the SNP stands for and it is our core belief. In the fourteen months running up to the Scottish Parliament elections we will be placing extra emphesis on the links between Scottish self-government and the issues of the day affecting society. 2/3/02

Faslane Big Blockade 11-13 February

The three days of peaceful protest outside the gates of Faslane Naval Base saw almost 200 activists arrested. 400 protestors including Kelvin SNP members blocked both gates for several hours on Monday morning, while Tuesday and Wednesday attracted 150 and 100 respectively. SNP MSP Lloyd Quinan was arrested for the second time, while John Swinney was also in attendance along with Sandra White, Dorothy-Grace Elder, Linda Fabiani, Fiona Hyslop and Bruce Crawford (Tuesday). The SNP remains the only mainstream political party opposed to Scotland having a nuclear capability.

Despite promises to engage in multilateral disarmament the government has not got rid of Trident. We cannot shrug our shoulders and walk away. We have to do what we can to prevent this monstrous crime. Trident pollutes the environment with radiation, is poised to kill millions of civilians and is outlawed by international humanitarian law. 14/2/02

Sandra White MSP has called for police officers to be permanently stationed in the accident and emergency department of Glasgow Royal Infirmary. She feels that a police presence is vital to safeguard staff against violent patients. A&E staff are on the front line and their safety in the workplace must be ensure, while plans to house north Glasgow's sole casualty department at the hospital make the matter all the more urgent. 2/2/02

Kelvin No More?

The Boundary Commission for Scotland has published its provisional recommendations for the reorganisation of Scotland's Westminster parliamentary constituencies. This will see a reduction of MPs from 72 to 59, and a reduction of Glasgow seats from 10 to 7. While this is a step in the right direction, the SNP would like to see NO representives sent to Wesminster: we are perfectly capable of running our own affairs from Edinburgh.

Glasgow Kelvin will be one of the casualties under the proposals: it will be devided up as follows -

There is a clause in the Scotland Act which would see these new boundaries also being applied to the Scottish Parliament from 2007 onwards. Such a reduction would have potential to undermine the committee system which is seen as one of the successes of the new assembly in Edinburgh, and MSPs are currently puting their case to Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell to amend the Scotland Act and allow us to retain the full 129 MSPs.

• For further information on the proposed changes, see the Boundary Commission's website.
  9/2/02

Councillors Vote for Transfer Plan Glasgow councillors have now officially backed the controversial plans to transfer council houses to a private trust. The policy and resources committee voted to hold a ballot on the housing transfer by 19 votes to two. The sole Tory on the committee, joined 18 Labour councillors in agreeing to go out to detailed consultation. The ruling Labour Group, which was apparently split on their support of the proposals, will actively campaign for a "yes" vote in the ballot. The exact timing of the ballot is however still up in the air. Having been postponed three times already, it was recently announced it would take place in March. Yet group leader Charlie Gordon has now come out and said "there possibly could be a ballot this side of Easter." The continuing uncertainty only serves to confirm that there are still concerns within the council about the viability of the project. 14/2/02

Faslane Big Blockade 11-13 February

Despite promises to engage in multilateral disarmament the government has not got rid of Trident. We cannot shrug our shoulders and walk away. We have to do what we can to prevent this monstrous crime. Trident pollutes the environment with radiation, is poised to kill millions of civilians and is outlawed by international humanitarian law.

Over the past year there have been two huge sit-down blockades of the Faslane Trident base. Thousands of people took part to peacefully close the base for a total of over twelve hours and over five hundred people were arrested, including SNP MSP Lloyd Quinnan.

On 11th - 12th - 13th February there will be three days of rolling protest and nonviolent action at the Trident base. The main blockade will take place at 7am on Monday 11th, and buses will be running from Glasow. As always, members of Kelvin SNP will be participating in the protest. Contact us if you want to join us. You can take part in the blockades by sitting in the gateways to close the base nonviolently or you can come and give vital support without risking arrest. 28/1/02

A Meeting will be held in Townhead on the theme of "Keep Glasgow's Public Housing Public" with Sandra White MSP. It will take place on Monday 11th February, 7.30 pm in the Community Flat, 12 Dobbies Loan Place. 7/2/02

In the latest edition of her regular newsletter, Sandra White MSP condems the government's failure over the crisis at the Beatson Oncology Centre based at the Western Infirmary.

She also calls for a radical overhall of the rail system in the light of the current Scotrail dispute. 27/1/02

Kelvin CA's AGM will be held on Wednesday 27th February, 7.30pm in Telfer House, 74 Miller Street. Guest speaker to be announced. All constituent branch members are welcome to attend. 27/1/02

Ballot Timetable Announced

The potential privatisation of Glasgow City Council's housing stock came a step closer as provisional dates for a postal ballot of tenants was announced. The Council will consider Glasgow Housing Association's ninth revision of their business plan for the transfer. With the Council's approval of the plan, ballot papers will be issued on 4th March, with the result declared on 25th March.

The SNP's continued opposition to the proposals will see us spearheading a "NO" campaign once the ballot is officially announced. See our newly expanded section on the stock transfer for more details. 14/1/02

The ongoing "work to rule" by ScotRail drivers is making life very difficult for the public. The emergency timetables introduced are only serving to complicate the situation, while negotiations between ScotRail and the drivers' Unions (RMT and Aslef) appears to be going nowhere.

Whether or not the drivers have a valid case is irelevant to the situation, as this is an internal matter for the privatised operator. The fact that such chaos can be created by drivers no longer voluntarily working on rest days only highlights the organisational and staffing problems within ScotRail. But ScotRail have a duty to run their franchised services effectively. 27 out of 35 ScotRail services are currently disrupted, a quarter of all services have been cancelled, fares are rising, there has been a rise in delays of 140 per cent and ScotRail receives a public subsidy of one and a half billion pounds.

Scotland needs independent control of its rail network. The current system is partly devolved and partly a reserved matter for Westminster, creating too many complex relationships between different organisations. Full devolution of rail (if not full Scottish Independence) would improve the public accountability of the rail network and allow for increased investment. 14/1/02

Five Hundred Days

Our next opportunity to secure Independence for our nation is now less than 500 days away. The people of Scotland will go to the polls on May 1st 2003 to elect our new representitives for the second term of the Scottish Parliament. An SNP government will be able to negotiate our Independence settlement, giving Scotland an equal status to other nations, and allowing us to have a strong voice on the world stage for the first time in almost three hundred years.

Glasgow Kelvin SNP, as with all other constituencies, will over the coming months be selecting our candidate for the election. 18/12/01

Kelvin SNP would like to wish all its members, supporters and voters the compliments of the season, and all the best for the coming year. 18/12/01

Glasgow City Council's controversal proposed Housing Stock Transfer is currently completing its Stage 1 consultation process. The SNP in Glasgow are firmly against the proposals - we believe affordable social housing must remain within the democratically accountable public sector.

The current Stage 1 consultation process allows council tenants to express their views on the proposals, as outlined in the booklet, "Proposal to Transfer the City Council's Housing to Glasgow Housing Association" circulated to all tenants in early November. Submissions must be received by the council no later than this Friday, 14th December.

The final ballot on the stock transfer proposals is likely to take place early next year, and the SNP will be recommending to tenants that they vote NO While we are committed to community ownership and tenant empowerment, we believe that the stock transfer will fail to deliver on either of these two principles.

A special section devoted to the stock transfer will feature on this website in the near future. In the meantime, our existing page in the Local Issues section contains further information on the proposals. 8/12/01

The day after SNP Shadow Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP called for the resignation of Chief Executive of North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust who has control of the fiasco hit Beatson Oncology Centre, Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm put a new director in charge. But Ms Sturgeon revealed that at least one more consultant was actively considering resignation from the Beatson, which has already been hit by the resignation of four consultants.

While removing the failed management of the Beatson is a step in the right direction, the sad fact is that things may get worse before they get better. Morale amongst staff is at rock bottom after years of mismanagement and neglect.

The new centre manager, Dr Adam Bryson, is a respected clinician and medical manager, but it is vital he is given the backing needed to quickly stabilize the situation at the Beatson and protect patient services. 8/12/01

Scottish New Labour is up to its neck in sleaze - just like the English Tories before they were kicked out of office.

Henry McLeish was forced to resign after he falsely claimed £36,000 in expenses. New Labour supporters dominate quangos, commissions, trade unions and the media.

In local government, patronage, planning permission, contracts and power are all in New Labour's gift. They have been in power for too long in Scotland - so they take it for granted and abuse it.

The Scottish Parliament has brought some openness and accountability to public life in Scotland. But it's time to drive the darker side of New Labour's cronyism out of Scottish politics for good. 25/11/01

Sandra White MSP has condemned the government's failure to improve Scotland's transport system in the Scottish Parliament railways debate. She highlighted the lack of investment in Glasgow's rail infrastructure compared to the hundreds of millions spent on schemes such as London's Jubilee Line, costing £2461m. Read the full story in the latest edition of her newsletter. 3/12/01

Jack the Lad Jack McConnell has been annointed as Scottish New Labour's new führer, without even the slightest suggestion of an open debate about New Labour policies and politics. And yet when Jack refused to clarify his position on proportional representation for local government, and the continued expansion of PFI / PPP funding, the LibDem sheep backed him fully to secure his place as Scotland's new First Minister. These are issues which he has previously expressed strong views on, which represented a deviation from his Party's line. And PR for local government has been a long standing policy of the LibDems. It can only be concluded that power is taking precedent over principles for both McConnell and the LibDems. Of course, it's not that the devolved assembly has much power itself: even McConnell's own election as First Minister must first be ratified by the queen. 54% of MSPs voted for Jack to be First Minister - this should be enough of a mandate in any democracy without having to give the queen (who isn't even willing to attend Parliament for this purpose) a say in the matter also. 24/11/01

John Swinney's St Andrew's Day Address John Swinney MSP will be making his St Andrew's Day address at 2pm on Friday 30th November, at Strathclyde University Union, 90 John Street. The event is being hosted by the Federation of Student Nationalists, University of Strathclyde (FoSNUS), and runs with the theme "A Fresh Start for Scotland" If you are interested in attending, please contact FoSNUS at . 24/11/01

The Labour Group on Glasgow City Council have agreed to recommend to the Policy and Rescources Committee the transfer of all council housing stock to Glasgow Housing Association. But the ballot of residents necessary before the move can go ahead has been postponed for a third time, increasing speculation that there are flaws in the current plans for the transfer. The ballot is now likely to go ahead in late January next year.

The sell-off is being promoted on the grounds of a potential £4 million investment in Glasgow's housing over a twenty year period. But it can be argued that the privatised housing association model gives tenants less say in management, rent, repair and modernisation issues. Gordon Brown has agreed to pay off the Council's £900 million debt on the condition that the transfer goes ahead, yet it is inconceivable that he would consider withdrawing his support if the tenants of Glasgow democratically reject the sell-off.

The coming months will shape the future of public sector housing in Glasgow. It is vital that a proper debate is had and that the whole picture is examined, and not just the short term financial package currently on the table.

> Press Release by Sandra White MSP 1/10/0, 4/10/01

With the tory privatisation experiment of Railtrack having finally collapsed, the proposals for a not-for-profit trust can only be a step in the right direction. While only full re-nationalisation will return Scotland's railways to democratically accountable control, we must at least be comforted by the fact that the new body will put passengers' safety before financial gain for shareholders.

Transport in Scotland is controlled by the Scottish Parliament, but up until now the Strategic Rail Authority and the privatised Railtrack company have given Scotland no guarantees that we will get our fair share of the £60bn of planned rail investment over the next ten years. It is vital that the Scottish Government will have a direct influence over the investment strategy and decision making of the proposed public trust for the railways. 8/10/01

The Scottish Government have published their Bill for the postponement of next year's local government elections. The Bill will force councils to hold their elections on the same day as the Scottish Parliament elections. This will undermine local democracy by displacing local issues with a national agenda.

If the Government really want to improve local democracy and increase turnouts then they should be introducing a bill for Proportional Representation in local Government instead of clinging on to an outdated electoral system which protects Labour fiefdoms across Scotland.4/10/01

The October Blockade Faslane on the Clyde, near Helensburgh, is where England's four Trident nuclear missile submarines are based. Trident is an indiscriminate weapon of mass destruction, poised to kill millions of civilians, polluting the environment with radiation and outlawed by international humanitarian law. At the blockade in February this year some 1000 people gathered outside the gates of Faslane, closing the base for over five hours. The peaceful protest starts at 7am on Monday 22nd October, and will be attended by members of Kelvin SNP. For further information please contact Scottish CND. 24/9/01

SNP Conference is currently taking place in Dundee, where a wide variety of resolutions on policy issues will be debated. The SNP's National website has been relaunched to co-incide with Conference, and you can visit it to keep up to date with the Conference proceedings. You'll find the site at www.snp.org 19/9/01

The latest edition of Sandra White MSP's newsletter is mainly concerned with the controversial planning applications which have been made around Glasgow in recent months. Sandra fully supports the local communities which would be affected by the proposed developments in Novar Drive (Hyndland), Churchill Drive (Broomhill) and Park Quadrant. 19/9/01

1820 Martyrs Remembered

The annual commemoration of three Scottish martyrs executed for demanding workers' rights and an Independent Scottish Parliament took place in Sighthill Cemetery at the weekend. James Wilson, John Baird and Andrew Hardie were hanged after the1820 rebellion, when working people chose armed insurrection against the British state because of poverty. They died the most horrible of deaths in the cause of human rights. We need a Scotland that is based upon vision and principle, and a Scotland not afraid to argue for those things. A Scotland indeed that would measure up to the courage and inspiration of Baird, Hardie and Wilson. 10/9/01

Workers at the BAE Systems shipyard in Scotstoun have walked out in protest against redundancies announced earlier this year. Around 900 people attended a meeting at the yard and voted unanimously for a 24-hour strike and a ban on overtime. The move follows the announcement of more than 1,000 job losses on the Clyde, at BAE's yards at Govan and Scotstoun. The SNP have called for immediate action to minimise job losses and secure the long-term future of shipbuilding on the Clyde. 10/9/01

This week sees this website celebrate its first anniversary. A year ago we were awaiting the election of the the successor to Alex Salmond as National Convenor. Much has happened in the twelve months since then, including the death of Donald Dewar and subsequent Anniesland by-elections, the SNP coming within 705 votes of winning the Falkirk West by-election, the biggest blockade of Faslane Naval Base in recent times, and of course the Westminster Election campaign.

The political focus is now firmly on the Scottish Parliament elections in 2003, the next opportunity the Scottish electorate will have to win self-government for our nation. www.kelvinsnp.org will continue to bring you the latest news from our local campaigns in the 600 days leading up to polling day. 3/9/01

The annual commemoration will take place on Saturday 18th August. Assemble 2pm Ludovic Square, Johnstone for procession to Wallace Monument Elderslie for wreath laying and speeches. There will be a tearoom, bar and stalls in Elderslie Village Hall. 7/8/01

Our page of Related Sites had been revamped, and now contains links to over sixty sites pertaining to local and national issues. It is hoped, over time, to create a more comprehensive list, so if you have any further recommendations please send them this way. 8/8/01

Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer

Council tenants in Glasgow will have their homes fully modernised within ten years if they endorse the sale of the city's housing stock, the prospective buyers, the Glasgow Housing Association, have said in its published proposals for the transfer.

But the SNP said it was disappointed by the GHA's business plan, claiming the agency had failed to deliver on its promise of speedy renovation for Glasgow's most dilapidated council housing. After three years shrouded in secrecy, the business plan fails to provide tenants with details of what they will be expected to vote on. It fails to deliver the much-needed renovation in the timescale promised and, astonishingly, it values the council's stock at less than £300 per unit. This is a scandal given that the City Council has invested over £2 billion of public money in the last 20 years.

The SNP has always been open to the idea of genuine community ownership, but believe this plan offers neither ownership nor security to Glasgow's hard pressed tenants.

Kelvin SNP are opposed to the transfer proposals, and are call on the Westminster government to take responsibility for the housing debt, just as they did for the debt of water companies in England and Wales before privatisation. 1/8/01

BAE Systems have announced that 1,000 workers at the Scotstoun and Govan yards will lose their jobs. This is a devastating blow to the workers and their families. The Ministry of Defence and the UK Labour Government have failed to safeguard the workers from the shortfall in their order books.

The MoD has rejected a bid to build two supply ships or to bring work forward to safeguard jobs on the Clyde until work from existing contracts begins.

The SNP are fully supportive of the AEEU's calls to oppose any compulsory redundancies in the Govan or Scotstoun yards. 10/7/01