Daily Telegraph expose MP Michael Moore, for being, erm, well, honest

I will not sit back and see the Daily Telegraph attack our MPs for being honest and having integrity when the newspaper has stooped to yet another new low, taping them in constituency surgeries when pretending to be constituents, depriving real constituents having time with their local MP.

The media are desperate for the coalition to collapse, to find splits in the coalition and probably hoping that it will fail.

The British media are strange, they left Labour alone for many things during their tenure - the illegal war in Iraq, the measly 75p rise for pensioners, the introduction of tuition fees for students and their reckless spending plans leaving us paying £120 million per day in interest payments alone.

Yet, the coalition Government is something the majority of them (Scottish journalists are used to coalition politics) don't really understand so they just launch attack after attack after attack.

Michael Moore has not said anything damaging to himself, the Party or the coalition Government, although I am sure Nick Clegg and David Cameron may disagree.  To be fair Michael Moore said nothing in his piece on tuition fees that we haven't already heard from Nick Clegg, so actually they are both on the same page on this issue.

On child benefit Michael Moore hasn't said anything controversial and was being honest with someone he thought was a constituent.

Surely the Daily Telegraph needs lambasting for depriving real constituents of time with their local MP by trying to catch MPs out in a childish and unprofessional sting?

Of course they do but no other media outlet will have the balls to do that.

I will stand and defend Michael Moore MP when attacked because I have worked with him and know him and he would do nothing other than fight for the people of the Scottish Borders and his constituency and now the people of Scotland in his new role.

Michael Moore MP - Strengthening Scotland's future

Today has been a historic day, Michael Moore MP communicates with Lib Dem members in Scotland.

Dear Andrew,


Today the Government published its Scotland Bill. When this becomes law, a second and exciting phase in Scottish devolution will begin. We are strengthening Scotland’s future based on three principles: empowerment, accountability and stability.

This Bill starts its parliamentary process with the support of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Each of our parties - plus business and civil society - contributed to the Calman Commission, which drew up the blueprint for it. It is right that change of this sort should be built on a broad consensus. But now it is this government that is turning those principles into practice.

And let's be clear: this plan is steeped in Liberal Democrat values.

We believe in devolution. By nature, we are mistrustful of centralised government and welcoming of the flow of power from Westminster to our nation states, our communities and to individuals too. When the Scottish Constitutional Convention drafted the plan for a Scottish Parliament, we were at the table. When the referendum campaign was raging, we were on the streets campaigning. And in 1999, when the first democratically elected Scottish Parliament was elected, we joined the coalition government that heralded a new era of Scottish politics.

The Bill is diverse in content, and gives the Scottish Parliament a range of new powers: regulating air weapons; setting drink-drive limits; establishing a Scottish national speed limit.

But its centrepiece is the devolution of tax and borrowing powers. This is the greatest transfer of fiscal power from London since the creation of the UK. Today, the Scottish Parliament only has revenue powers over council tax and business rates and raises only 15% of its own revenue. The Scotland Bill transforms that. The most significant change we will make is to create a Scottish Income Tax. We'll do this by cutting 10 pence off every band of income tax. We will proportionately adjust the block grant that Scotland receives, and then allow the Scottish Parliament to reset the tax rates. We will also give the Parliament nearly £3 billion in borrowing powers.

This will empower the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government to make tax and spend choices that will determine future revenues and help shape Scotland's future economy.

It will also make both more accountable to the Scottish people. It is an incomplete construct to have a Parliament that spends money but is responsible for raising little of it. By giving these tax powers to Holyrood, MSPs will have to answer to voters for the money that they spend. And by moving those spending decisions closer to Scottish society and to Scottish business, both will be better placed to influence the decisions that impact on their lives and livelihoods.

By empowering Holyrood, we are also ensuring its stability. Our plans will be phased to ensure no sudden shock or windfall to the Scottish budget. By giving the Parliament – which has been a success over the past decade – room to innovate safely, we will strengthen Scotland within the UK.

And for all their bluster, the SNP has no alternative. Their plans for full fiscal autonomy are a non-starter: light on detail, high on cost and fraught with risk. No industrialised country has ever gone down that road. This is independence masquerading as reform. It won’t wash.

But for our party, the victory here is not a tactical one. It is principled one. We are working with others to devolve power from the centre to the communities that need it and know how to use it.

This is good for Scotland, and we should be proud of it.

Best wishes,
Michael Moore
Secretary of State for Scotland

Have the SNP lied about the tax raising powers Scotland no longer has?

Michael Moore MP, the Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland has announced today that the SNP Government has let the tax varying powers for Holyrood lapse, but yet, just yesterday the SNP finance minister John Swinney MSP failed to mention it to the MSPs in Holyrood.

The SNP has constantly demanded more powers and a referendum but yet has now killed off the only tax power expressly voted for by Scottish people in the 1997 Devolution Referendum.

The Scottish Government has tried to sweep this under the carpet. It was fundamentally dishonest for Scottish Ministers not to make it clear during the Budget statement that they have killed off the tax varying power for this and the next Parliament.

According to the Scottish Office press release;

The Scottish Secretary Michael Moore has today written to the First Minister and other Holyrood leaders to inform them that a decision by the Scottish Government not to commit resources to maintain the Scottish Variable Rate (SVR) tax power means that HMRC could no longer collect such a tax.

The SVR is the power to lower or raise the basic rate of income tax by 3p.

The Scottish Government’s decision doesn’t just affect the SNP, but binds the hands of the next Government following the elections on May 5th 2011.

John Swinney told MSPs yesterday that he would not raise the Scottish Variable Rate of income tax but Michael Moore MP makes clear in his letter today that decisions taken by the Scottish Government mean the SVR power could not now be used before the 2013/14 tax year, so did John Swinney mislead Parliament?

The Scottish Secretary has written to the other main parties to advise them that they will not be able to use this power until the penultimate year of the next Parliament.

Michael Moore MP goes onto say;

"It is worth saying that the forthcoming Scotland Bill that I will publish in the next few weeks will contain the biggest transfer of financial powers from London since the creation of the UK. Our expectation is that these greater powers would be available to MSPs from 2015."

I really am concerned that John Swinney and the SNP government are not being entirely honest with voters on this, and if they can cover things like this up what else have they covered up since 2007?

The SNPs John Swinney MSP said yesterday in Holyrood;

"Within the Parliament's existing revenue powers, we have explored options for maximising our income.  We have been mindful of the need to considers the effect of the significant tax rises that the UK Government has announced before we act.  I therefore confirm that we will not raise the Scottish variable rate of income tax."

So, either he didn't realise the SVR power had been cancelled (which means he is out of touch and lost the trust of his staff) or he has mislead parliament or at the very worst knowingly lied to parliament.

It is time for the SNP to be honest and tell us where they stand and what they knew and when.

Conservative MSP John Lamont drops his support for Borders railway

The Borders railway, or Waverley line as it has become known was closed on Monday 6 January 1969 as part of the Beeching Axe. The last passenger service on the line (and the last train to traverse the entire route) was 1M82 21.56 Edinburgh - St. Pancras sleeper, on Sunday 5 January 1969 hauled by Class 45 D60 "Lytham St Annes".

The picture shows the Borders railway line being dismantled in 1969.

Ever since then, and before, there have been campaigns to reopen the Waverley line.

Recently those campaigns have finally been successful and now become a reality.

The current Campaign for Borders Rail website states:

At an historic debate in June 2006, the Scottish Parliament then approved the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act, including Borders stations at Stow as well as Galashiels and Tweedbank – a key campaign success for CBR and the people of Stow.

So on 3rd March 2010, another historic event in the return of the Borders railway, the turf-cutting ceremony near Galashiels by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson triggering the activation of the 2006 Act – a process that could only be halted by further legislative procedure in the Scottish Parliament.

All local politicians have been supportive of the reopening of the Waverley line, that is until yesterday when the Conservative MSP, John Lamont publicly performed a spectacular u-turn.
However just over a month ago when John Lamont MSP wanted to be elected to the Westminster Parliament for Galashiels he was in favour of the Railway and now he has flipped his position.

Surely he must recognise the impact a railway would have on the economical growth for the Borders? 

As Lib Dem Jeremy Purvis MSP said:

"Given the economic fragility of the region, the case is stronger than ever for the region to be connected by rail to the centre of Edinburgh and Glasgow."

John Lamont also plainly doesn’t understand that the project will be paid for by the Scottish Government through annual revenue repayments, not the whole capital cost up front.

Through their taxes Borderers have been subsidising the rail network for a generation in Scotland and for our future economic growth the central Borders needs to be connected to the network.

On the BBC News website, John Lamont says;

A recent survey on the Borders railway had shown people wanted better public transport but there was "frustration" the line would not extend to Hawick or link with the West Coast main line.

"Many people remain unconvinced that the new railway to Galashiels will make much difference to most communities in the Borders particularly since it will not go to Hawick and on to Carlisle," he said.

This recent survey John Lamont quotes from must be the one that he spent thousands of pounds of tax payers money on over a year ago and which John Lamont has never released the results.  Of course people in Hawick are not going to be as happy as those in Galashiels, but one step at a time and also it is about the economical growth for the towns across the Borders.

Jeremy Purvis MSP said:

“Mr Lamont says that because some of his constituents won’t use the line then it’s a waste of money. Doesn’t he get the fact that the Borders benefits when the whole region comes together to support priorities. If he uses his stupid rationale then no more money should be spent on the Reston Station issue as constituents of mine in Tweeddale won’t use it. But I support that and other issues across the parts of the Borders not in my constituency. He is driving a wedge in the region and he should be ashamed for doing so.

“I have this week written to the Transport Minister asking him to bring forward the financial close of the project from next autumn to next spring before the Scottish Parliament elections. They are doing this for the Forth replacement crossing so they should do it for the Waverley Line.”

Anyway back to the most expensive MSP, John Lamont, who for the financial year 2008/09 spent £26,952 on postage and office supplies.

John Lamont MSP had surveyed, wrote, wrote again and did yet more surveys about the Borders railway - but - where are the results Mr Lamont?  Finally you refer to this survey, but you have never released the results from this done in 2008/09 and now drip feeding very carefully worded statements about it show your constituents anything.
It appeared when John Lamont challenged Michael Moore MP for the Westminster seat that he was bored in Holyrood, this dramatic u-turn on the benefits of a railway for the Borders just highlights his boredom and lack of enthusiasm for standing up for the Borderers - perhaps he is not going to stand next year?

However, the campaign for a Borders railway must not be derailed by the lone voice of John Lamont MSP.

Vince Cable stands down as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats

But, who is next?

In the last hour one of my old bosses, Vince Cable has stood down as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in order to concentrate on his role as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills within the Liberal Democrat - Conservative coalition government.

I am delighted that Vince has got such a major role within the coalition government, something he rightly deserves, although it is slightly ironic that he is now in charge of the department he put forward that we should abolish!

Vince is an absolute gentleman and will not have come to this decision lightly.

The text of Vince Cable’s resignation letter to Nick Clegg is below:

Dear Nick,

I am writing to offer my resignation in my role as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

It has been an honour to serve as the Deputy Leader of our party. However, in joining the cabinet I have taken on many new challenges and responsibilities and it is right that I focus wholeheartedly on the job in hand.

These are exciting times to be a Liberal Democrat, and despite all the challenges we face we have a real opportunity to change Britain for the better. There are great opportunities for the party alongside our working in coalition.

I wish my successor all the best in what is a rewarding and important role.

Yours ever,

Vince Cable
 
In response to the letter, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“Vince has been a fantastic Deputy Leader during an exciting time for the party. I look forward to us continuing to work together in government.”

The election for the new Deputy Leader will take place on Wednesday 9 June with Lord (William) Wallace acting as the returning officer.
There will be a formal meeting of the Parliamentary Party on Wednesday 2 June to receive nominations.

Should more than one nomination be forthcoming, hustings will take place at the meeting of the Parliamentary Party on 9 June. The ballot will take place at the end of that meeting, with the result declared thereafter.
 
Now, who should be the next Deputy Leader?  For a start, in my humble opinion, it should not be one of the MPs who is a Minister or in the Cabinet, I know that slims the options down but I really think the back benchers need a voice.
 
I would like to see Michael Moore MP nominated.  Michael is currently the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and I feel would add a lot to the role and would provide Nick Clegg with real support.
 
However, it is not up to me, a mere staffer for the Liberal Democrats.

Conservatives jump on yet another Lib Dem bandwagon

Over on ConservativeHome Richard Benyon MP is very proud he raised the issue of troops serving abroad not being able to vote in the forthcoming general election.

A really important issue Mr Benyon, I completely agree, as did Willie Rennie MP and Michael Moore MP back in February, good to see you copying the Liberal Democrats lead on this issue.

Once again though, it is not the Conservatives leading the opposition, it is in fact Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats team who are one step ahead and staying ahead and the Conservatives just jump onto the bandwagon.

Changes to voting rules which would help ensure servicemen and women operating abroad have the opportunity to vote in the forthcoming General Election are required urgently.


The current regulations mean that there are only 11 days in which postal ballots can be printed, dispatched and returned to be included in constituency counts. The Lib Dems are concerned that this could leave thousands of people serving in the armed forces overseas unable to register their vote. Those missing out could include men and women who are currently on operations in Afghanistan.

My birthday weekend campaigning in Jedburgh and the Borders

I'm home after a great weekend out campaigning for Michael Moore MP.  The weekend was run from Jedburgh and yesterday was amazing with over 30 people turning up, including people from Liberal Youth Scotland, Jim Hume MSP, Lord Steel and Jeremy Purvis MSP and we ended up delivering far more copies of Michael's latest focus leaflet than expected - more had to be bundled and prepared for Sunday, always a good sign.

I was out delivering with the formidable Elspeth Finlay, and in fact this was our third weekend out togther, the end of January we were in North East Fife, last weekend we were in Edinburgh South and then this weekend the Borders.  Elspeth isn't joining me in Inverness next weekend though.

There is always an unexpected bonus from these campaign days and weekends, this weekend had a few (obviously being with Elspeth is the highlight and promoting Liberal Democracy).

First of all we discovered an amazing bed & breakfast, if you find yourselves in Jedburgh, heading towards Newcastle from Scotland or vice versa and you want to relax in luxury for an evening or two then the Glenacre bed & breakfast is for you.

The customer service was amazing and Tom was on hand throughout the evening from our arrival onwards.  The rooms and decor were stunning, the food was all fresh and great and it was just a great experience, Elspeth, Matthew and I would all definitely recommend it.

Over the course of the weekend a massive part of the Borders, mainly in the East and South was delivered but I went into Jedburgh, Camptown (no jokes please), Selkirk, Melrose and Gattonside.

Here are a selection of photos from my delivering leaflets days in Fife and the Borders.  Below is a picture of Crail Castle, the mince pie ice cream from our day delivering leaflets in Fife, the sunset on my birthday in Selkirk and finally Crail Harbour and the beach.