News Updates
Below are some collected stories of the work I have been doing here in the Bothwell and Uddingston ward, work at the South Lanarkshire Council, and matters of national and international importance that may be relevant for members of these communities.
School Transport Cuts
On Monday 15th January, South Lanarkshire Council launched a consultation on increasing the qualifying distance for high school transport from 2 miles to 3 miles. The result of this is that I believe there are serious equalities risks with this change. For example, a family staying in the centre of Uddingston who send their children to the non-denominational sector may have as little as a 10 minute walk to Uddingston Grammar but if they send their child to a Catholic school, they could face more than a 1 hour 10 minute walk (for wee 11 year old legs) to Holy…
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20mph Speed Limits and Climate
I spoke this week at South Lanarkshire Road Safety Forum to convey my general support on safety grounds for 20mph speed limits in built up areas. I also raised my specific concerns around the environmental impact of any such change. Council committee reports have a standard section for climate change, sustainability and environmental implications. Too often this section is not filled in. Governments, local and national, have a duty to understand the climate impact of our decisions, and to act appropriately as stewards of our planet.
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Never Again
I attended the wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial in Uddingston today where I laid a wreath on behalf of the Council. My colleagues attended to do the same at the Bothwell ceremony. Afterwards, I laid my own mark of remembrance at the Bothwell war memorial and then attended the South Lanarkshire-wide ceremony at Bothwell Road Cenotaph in Hamilton. In my lifetime, there has seldom been an Armistice Day or Remembrance Sunday when the need to honour those who have died in war has been greater. We honour them by working for a lasting peace and an end to all…
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2nd Family Fun Day with Cost of Living Support
Unfortunately, one year on from our Cost of Living and Family Fun Day in 2022, families across the UK are still struggling to pay their bills and buy essentials. In fact, the situation is much worse than last year, with many people just one pay day away from destitution. 2023 has seen record-breaking inflation caused in no small part by the Conservatives in Westminster, with dangerously right-wing economic policy so insane that even global financial markets couldn’t get behind them. And let’s not forget their complete lack of support for small business fuel costs and then the scrapping of the…
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Bothwell Community Hub Opening
It was great to attend the Bothwell Community Hub Opening Yesterday. Bothwell Futures took over the Donald Institute building from South Lanarkshire Council last year in a Community Asset Transfer process. The building previously housed only the Bothwell Library but now will now be a community space, still with a library but also housing a meeting spaces, flexible use community areas, and two businesses; Your Move McLaughlin and an alterations tailor. As a community trust with charity status, Bothwell Futures is non-profit. The revenue from hosting these businesses will help ensure the long term viability of the hub. The work…
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Scottish Parliament Boundary Review
On Wednesday, Boundaries Scotland released their provisional proposals for changes to Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries. This is subject to public consultation and you can see more details at Boundaries.scot and have your say on the proposals. Were the proposals to be enacted, this would mean that the areas of North Lanarkshire that have lasting ties to, and are traditionally considered to be, “Uddingston” (Viewpark, Tannochside, Birkenshaw, etc) would no longer be in the same constituency as the rest of Uddingston (the South Lanarkshire portion). These continuing ties (beyond peoples’ addresses) mean that, for example, there is a reciprocal agreement between…
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SNP Fight for Junior Sports
Last month, the SNP Group called for a special meeting of South Lanarkshire Council so we could reverse the budget decision of the Labour-Lib Dem administration (supported by the Tories) to cut the concessionary rates for under-16s and over-60s sport. That special meeting was held yesterday. The decision to cut the concessionary rates had been met with widespread outrage from South Lanarkshire residents, especially from junior sports clubs such as swim teams and football clubs. This led to demonstrations outside SLC HQ where young footballers chanted “It’s time to go, Joe!” in reference to Joe Fagan (Labour, EK Central North),…
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Phone Mast Installation at Bothwell War Memorial
At the beginning of the month, an application was validated to install “an 18 metre high slim line monopole with 6 antennas, wraparound cabinet at base, 2 equipment cabinets, 1 transmission cabinet and ancillary development” on Bothwell Main Street, next to the war memorial. Thank you to all the local residents who reached out to me to express their objection to this installation. Please be assured that we agree wholeheartedly on how inappropriate this installation would be, for a number of reasons. I wrote to the planning department and made the following representation. Thanks to the strength of objections, I…
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We bring policy, unionists bring flags
At today’s full South Lanarkshire Council meeting, I was proud to be part of an SNP Group bringing motions on serious matters to tackle inequality and the cost of living. Meanwhile, unionist parties brought nothing but flag-waving Union Jackery. While your SNP Group wanted to debate one motion to enable “Warm Banks” and another to improve menstruation support, fellow Bothwell and Uddingston Cllr Kenny McCreary (Conservative) believed that proposing the below motion was a better use of Council time. “This Council notes there is no locally determined protocol governing the use of its flagpoles at Council Headquarters. The Council therefore…
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Cost of Living and Family Fun Day
The Cost of Living Crisis is one of the most important issues for families nationally. We all know that Bothwell is an affluent village. That’s why it would be easy to overlook people in the area who are struggling financially. I was pleased to help organise a Cost of Living information event this week with my council colleagues, Stephanie Callaghan MSP, Angela Crawley MP, Bothwell Futures, Bothwell Parish Church and St Bride’s Church. It was great to see the two churches, community groups and local businesses come together to ensure local residents have the advice they need to make it…
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Joint Constituent Surgeries
Had a great couple of surgeries at the David Milne Centre and Bothwell Community Hall with Stephanie Callaghan MSP and Angela Crawley MP. Holding joint surgeries with other elected representatives allows us to tackle issues at all levels of government; local, Scottish and UK. It was also good getting know some more constituent. Angela even got a wee ukulele lesson. If you need to speak to us again, we will be at Bothwell Family Fun and Cost of Living Event on Monday at St Bride’s Church.
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Joint Constituent Surgeries
I will be holding joint surgeries on Monday with Angela Crawley MP and Stephanie Callaghan MSP. If you stay in Uddingston or Bothwell, please feel free to attend either of these surgeries. Your MP, MSP and I will be on hand to deal with enquiries at local, Scottish and UK levels.
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Cllr Cal Johnston-Dempsey 