Save our Scottish Police from the SNP, Conservatives and Labour plans

There is a massive campaign brewing here in Scotland and the political parties are lining up on one side or the other.

The SNP put forward proposals to scrap the current eight Scottish Constabularies and replace it with just one.

The cost will be at least £92million and cost between 3,000 - 4,000 frontline police officers.

Both the Labour party and Conservatives have joined the SNP and now all three also want to create just one fire service as well. Labour also want to centralise care and NHS services.

Although the Liberal Democrats are often against centralisation, the proposals by Alex Salmond, Iain Gray and Annabel Goldie just don't make sense in many areas of Scotland - especially in the rural communities and the many islands that make up this great country.

Their expensive proposals must be stopped.

You can watch Tavish Scott and Charles Kennedy explain why below.




You can sign the online petition HERE and like the facebook campaign page HERE.

Conservative MP Nadine Dorries loses the plot

Over on Nadine Dorries MP's blog, she questions whether you can be addicted to Twitter?

Firstly though, she plugs the fact that she has written an article for Iain Dale's book, before she then questions whether you can in fact be addicted to Twitter, she writes;

In the article, in which I very clearly define the reasons why MPs should not blog or Twitter (yes, I know ) I mention someone who has posted 22,000 tweets in four months.

Today, someone has emailed my office with the details of a political/personal Tweeter who has posted 35,000 tweets in a similar amount of time.

I'm going to have to set up a Twitter account again so that I can check this out for myself!... Not.

Is there such a thing as Twitter addiction?

I think this is funny given Nadine has given up on Twitter (although it was always funny how she blocked people who didn't agree with her) but still blogs - what's that old saying?

Don't do what I do, do what I say.

It seems appropriate for Nadine Dorries on this issue.

Anyway, I digress.  What is wrong with posting 22,000 comments over a period of four months?

Nadine explains;

Surely these people cannot be in employment because if they are, how can they work? if they aren't then it's time they got a job which involves being sat at a key board because there's nothing much up with their fingers, brain or attention span!!

Oh my god, it is stupid ridiculous comments like this that remind me despite being in coalition, our two parties are so far apart.

Anyway, if that comment from Nadine Dorries wasn't enough to drive you to drink, then hold on to your hats folks.

In the meantime, do you know of anyone else who has Tweeted more than 35,000 times in less than six months? If so, email my office and let me know. Or, better still, if it's someone you know is on benefits, contact the DWP.

Honestly, you really could not make it up could you?

Conservative Minister to address the Liberal Democrat Conference this weekend

The Housing Minister, Conservative MP, Grant Shapps is to be the key note speaker at a fringe meeting hosted by Shelter and CentreForum called, What will the legacy of the economic downturn be for housing?

This will offer a real insight to what the Conservative Party is really thinking (I hope), well certainly on housing anyway.

Has the economic crisis really made us think any differently about the housing market, is it time we started to take the private rented sector more seriously, and will house-building ever recover?

The speakers will consider how, in a tight public spending environment, we can justify spending money on housing and how, in a competitive political environment, we can push housing up the agenda.

In my opinion as one of those trapped in the private renting sector currently while house prices in Scotland continue to rise, housing is one of the topics that needs to be addressed by the Liberal Democrats in Government, so this is a fringe meeting I certainly hope to attend.

The speakers at this fringe meeting on Sunday 19th September, 8pm - 9.15pm held in the ACC, Hall 1C are Grant Shapps MP, Conservative Housing Minister, Campbell Robb, Shelter and Councillor Richard Kemp, Local Government Association with Chris Nicholson, CentreForum in the Chair.

Hopefully this will be interesting for people to have a chance to hear and question one of the Conservatives within the Coalition at our own conference.

I may well add to this post when I am a little more awake.

Derek Brownlee MSP fails to become Conservative candidate for Dumfries

The Conservative MSP for the South of Scotland, Derek Brownlee had recently thrown his hat in the ring to become the Conservative Party candidate for the Holyrood seat of Dumfries, currently held by Elaine Murray MSP of the Labour Party.

This seat at the next election will be a top target for the Conservatives so selecting the right candidate is key.

Unfortunately news reaches my little blog that last Monday the count took place to select the next Conservative candidate for the 2011 election, but Derek Brownlee didn't win.

Although Derek Brownlee was not the local party's first choice, he lost out by just one vote it appears to local Councillor Gillian Dykes.

This must have been a major blow for Derek Brownlee, but at least he can continue as the South of Scotland MSP for the Conservatives.

Will the Conservatives put pressure on Councillor Dykes to move aside or will they just accept the decision and move on?

Derek Brownlee isn't the only person unhappy with the selection of Gillian Dykes, her fellow ward Councillor, Labour Councillor Dempster said the party must be “desperate when they select someone directly responsible for cutting teachers and public transport”.

From today's Dumfries & Galloway Standard;

In a statement sent out by the Labour Party, Mr Dempster said: “Only last week she tried and failed to cut even more. This ‘Cuts Councillor’ has launched the largest assault on education our region has ever seen but wants to cut even deeper.

“She is part of the administration that wanted to close ARCs and had to be shamed into dropping the proposal by the scale of outrage they caused.

“She introduced a hurtful disabled tax that is now being investigated by the Equalities Commission for breaking the law.”

The rant continued: “I am shocked that someone who has been so focused on attacking the vulnerable and elderly thinks they could represent us in Parliament.

“People in Nithsdale don’t want an MSP whose priority is to sack teachers, cut classroom assistants and increase charges for our pensioners.”

 So, it's gloves off in Dumfries, or Dumfriesshire as the seat will be known at the election on 5th May 2011.

Was David Ruffley MPs action a shout for help?

On Thursday evening David Ruffley MP jumped in front of a Gatwick Express train at London Victoria Station during the rush hour. Incredibly, the train passed right over him and miraculously he also missed the live electric rail.

Following the incident, where the train was backed up and David pulled from the track he was then taken to St. Thomas's Hospital for checks.

David Ruffley has been the Conservative MP for Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, since 1997.
A British Transport Police source told The Sun:

"It was not believed to be an accident. Witnesses said he deliberately tried to jump in front of the train. At this stage it appears to have been a half-hearted attempt to kill himself.

If this was as appears a suicide attempt then the Conservative Party and his family must ensure he gets all the help he needs to get him through this extremely difficult time.

There are many organisations who can help.

Let's hope David has a speedy recovery.