Archive for October, 2008
Sad News
Sad News
I have just heard that Councillor Craig Taylor, SNP Councillor for Kilbirnie and Beith has died suddenly.
This is very sad news indeed. I have only known Craig since the election in May 2007, but he seemed to me to be a good and generous man and a good colleague, regardless of party loyalty.
Add comment October 15, 2008
North Ayrshire SNP in Disgrace
Bad News 12th November
The matter of the Throughcare Centre was brought back to the full Council Meeting today. We had had a hint that the SNP was changing its stance on this, but unfortunately they chose to apply the whip yet again. In order to have the issue revisited it would have been neccessary to have Standing Orders suspended, which requires a two thirds majority.. but we had a small majority, not two thirds and not enough.
The outcome is that the centre is lost, the £1.5 million has been spent in vain, and a new tenant will have to be found. On top of that, we still need to find a home for the Throughcare facility.
It’s a problem for the Council but a disaster for the young people who would have profited from the centre. And a disgrace and a very black mark against the SNP in North Ayrshire.
We can only guess what Adam Ingram, the SNP Childrens’ Minister, will make of his party in North Ayrshire so blatantly opposing his flagship policy.
Stop Press … 28th October 2008 … Decision reconsiderd.
Labour has sent the decision (see below) to keep the Throughcare Centre closed back to the full council for reappraisal. The clients have made it clear that an alternative site in Dreghorn is not acceptable to them, and we must look after these disadvantaged people, so the proposal to use the purpose built centre in Irvine is back on the agenda. Which is all to the good.
See the original story below….
Who Cares about “Our Bairns”?
Not the SNP in North Ayrshire…
On 10th September the council voted on a newly refurbished “throughcare” centre for vulnerable youngsters. The centre was to be in Irvine, and had already had over £1million spent on it. The SNP and the Tories voted against the project, much to the disgust and disappointment of the Labour Group and the Lib Dems, who supported the centre.
I sent the following letter to the Herald, where it was published on the 12th September.
“Sir,
On September 10th you had a report on the publication by Adam Ingram, Minister for Children, of the policy document “These Are Our Bairns”. The document notes that “…more needed to be done to turn around statistics showing that so-called “looked-after” young people are less likely to go to university and more likely to get involved in crime ….”, and “…Councils should be able to offer looked-after children and care leavers support in employment, whether this be in terms of work experience or preparing job applications or interview skills.” The aims of the policy are that “Councils should become “corporate parents” to children in care so that they get the same chance of success and happiness as other young people”. These are indeed laudable sentiments, and they should be supported by all responsible politicians.
I wonder, therefore, if Adam Ingram is aware of the behaviour of the SNP Group on North Ayrshire Council who, on the very day he launched his policy, whipped their councillors in support of a motion to close a care centre designed and built to achieve those very aims. By voting I this way, SNP Councillors on NAC showed nothing but disdain for Adam Ingram, his policy and the people he wishes to support.
It’s all very well for Adam Ingram to make fine speeches about treating the vulnerable amongst us in a humane way. But there is little use of SNP Ministers publishing high-sounding policies for local councils to follow if SNP councillors are whipped into voting against their implementation, in this case to the great detriment of the very vulnerable young people that Adam Ingram insists he wants to help. If I was Adam Ingram I would be having a word with his party’s leaders in North Ayrshire, because whatever it is he wishes to achieve for “Our Bairns”, they are pretty obviously against it.
Yours sincerely
Alex Gallagher
Labour Councillor, Ward 8 NAC”
Subsequently Adam Ingram was in touch with the council, and the upshot appears to be that he is calling on the North Ayrshire SNP to explain itself. This, from today’s Herald brings us up to date..
There’s not a lot of joy in this for me. Obviously it’s good that we might have review of the decision, but we have let these kids down, despite our best efforts, and any revision of the position can only be a partial recompense for the unjustified actions, particularly of the SNP and the Conservatives.
1 comment October 7, 2008
