Standing up for Aberdeen and the North East
It is a great privilege to have been elected to the Scottish Parliament as one of your MSPs for the North East Scotland region.
Aberdeen is facing many challenges, including the transition away from Oil & Gas, and it is vital that the full powers and resources of the Scottish Government is committed to the future prosperity and wellbeing of people here.
This year has been incredibly difficult for businesses right across the North East of Scotland. Helping them to get back on their feet will be my number one priority for this parliamentary term.
Protecting Aberdeen jobs
Our energy industry here in the North East has taken a horrible hammering over the last few years.
It is clear that we must move away from fossil fuels, but we must not damage livelihoods before greener job alternatives become available. The First Minister has stated that she does not think new oil and gas fields in the North Sea should go ahead. But so far, here in Aberdeen, renewable industries and their supply chains have not provided anywhere near the employment opportunities needed to balance out job losses from oil and gas.
The North East is at the cutting edge for good practice and technological excellence in oil and gas recovery, this highly skilled workforce cannot be allowed to go to waste.
The transition away from fossil fuels is hurting Aberdeen far more than the rest of Scotland. Because of this, and the engineering skill-base that this region has, I believe it is only right and fair for renewable job creation to be focused here in the North East. However, at the moment, the Scottish Government does not keep a record of how many renewable jobs are coming to this area. I will call for this to change.
There needs to be a greater focus on job creation here in the North East in order for us to have a truly just transition.
I welcome the UK Government’s £16 billion North Sea Transition Deal and the work it will do in this area.
A fair share for Aberdeen
As one of your regional MSPs, I will continue to call for a fair share of funding for Aberdeen to make sure local services here such as our roads, schools and social care stop losing out.
From 2007 to 2019, the Scottish Government’s budget increased by 14%. However, the increase passed on by the Scottish Government to local authorities has been just 7%. This means councils across Scotland are missing out and it is forcing them into making unwanted cuts. I am calling for legislation to enshrine fair funding for councils into law (similar to the Barnett Formula). This would guarantee them a fair share of the Scottish Government budget each year.
It is vital that Scottish Government money finds its way out of the central belt and to our local services and communities. Instead, local authorities get an ever-dwindling share of the Scottish Government budget.
We are particularly badly hit here in Aberdeen as our funding package from the Scottish Government is far less than the Scottish average. With other cities, like Glasgow, receiving far more. For example, Glasgow City Council receives £1558 per person from the Scottish Government in General Revenue Funding. Aberdeen City Council, on the other hand, gets just £386 per person.
If we got the same Scottish Government General Revenue Funding as Glasgow, we would receive £5 million more per week to spend on local priorities here in Aberdeen. This would make a profound positive difference to our playparks, nurseries, schools, roads, city centre, social care and all of our other local amenities. I will continue to call for this to happen.
Disappointment on Freeports
I am disappointed that no agreement has been reached on Freeports, as this would benefit Aberdeen massively at a time when Aberdeen needs to diversify its jobs portfolio and branch out into other industries. Freeport status would have attracted renewable industries among many others. Creating alternative employment opportunities for those in Aberdeen must be an urgent priority and I have written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to press this issue.
Aberdeen Harbour’s current expansion, with the creation of the South Harbour, is the UK’s largest marine infrastructure project, and the project continues to receive strong backing from the UK Government. The UK Government have also announced a £400,000 contribution towards providing shore electricity within the existing North Harbour. This will help reduce the need for ship engines to idle and cut CO2 emissions in our city centre.
I have met with Aberdeen Harbour representatives and I will continue working in this area to make sure Aberdeen gets the investment it rightly deserves.
Novavax vaccine trial participants
I have been dismayed by the treatment of over 1,000 Scottish volunteers on the Novavax vaccine trial. Volunteering to take part in vaccine trials is a selfless act which helps us move on from this pandemic, every effort should be made to ensure that these people do not suffer long-term inconvenience unnecessarily.
Due to long delays in Novavax seeking vaccine approval, the UK Government offered vaccine trial participants south of the border alternative approved vaccines. This gave them thepeace of mind that they are appropriately protected and allows them the option to travel internationally.
I am pleased that the UK Government took this action and I called for the Scottish Government to do the same.
Not only is it the right thing to do, but it is imperative for the success of future trials that volunteers are not needlessly disadvantaged.
I have championed this principle since the issue around Novavax first arose and I will continue to do so.
