The Death of Her Majesty
The past month in Holyrood has been dominated by the tragic passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As the country mourned the death of its longest reigning monarch, Edinburgh played host to Her Majesty one last time before she headed off to her final resting place. I was privileged to pay my respects to Her Majesty as she passed on the Royal mile. The feeling of collective sadness and respect that was shared by the crowd was indicative of how much The Queen was loved.
I was also honoured to meet His Majesty King Charles III when he visited the Scottish Parliament. His Majesty was kind enough to greet MSPs while he was in Edinburgh. Even from the brief words that we exchanged; I was struck by the strength of character that it took for him to carry out his duties under the worst of circumstances.
During the tributes to Her Late Majesty, I gave a speech to Parliament, remembering her steadfast and enduring faith in Jesus. You can find my speech here.
Thank God for The Queen, God Save The King
Disability Commissioner Bill
In the last month, the consultation for my Private Members bill to establish a Disability Commissioner for Scotland closed. I have had a number of positive responses from a wide variety of people and organisations who have made their voice heard. It is now time for me to analyse each of the responses and produce a report on my findings. If the report describes the positive reaction that I expect, I hope to move forward towards introducing a bill to parliament next year.
Podcast
Over the past year, I have been producing a podcast: Out and About in the Lothians. As part of my Job as the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothian Region, I get to travel around meeting interesting people who make a difference in our community. The purpose of this podcast is to share their stories. Over the course of this session of Parliament, I will be travelling around the Lothians bringing you in on conversations with people who work hard to make our communities better. From Charities to local businesses, I will be seeking out a wide range of people to give you a broad view of what is going on in our area. You can find the Podcast Website here.
CPGs
One of the many activities that go on in Holyrood is Cross Party Groups. CPGs are groups that are set up in the parliament that bring together MSPs and others who have a particular interest in a certain subject. They meet at least twice a year and at least 2 MSPs who are members of the CPG attend meetings. They range from Beer and Pubs to Disability, International Development to Music. CPGs provide an excellent forum in which many different stakeholders can come together and engage in productive discussion and share information. I recently took part in a panel discussion at the CPG on Social work on the proposed National Care Service. It was an excellent discussion in which different perspectives were heard and clarified.
I sit as convener and vice Convener on the following CPGs:
- Convener
- Disability
- Funerals and Bereavement
- Older People, Age and Ageing
- Volunteering
- Deputy Convener
- Changing Places Toilet
- Epilepsy
- Future of Football in Scotland
- Poverty
- Social Work
- Sport
Rent Freeze Bill
Over the next week, the Scottish Government will try to force through emergency legislation that will introduce unprecedented rent controls and freezes. These measures are the result of radical alliance between the SNP and the Scottish Greens that places ideology and dogma over practical, targeted measures that would actually help those in need.
The proposed legislation will do nothing but further reduce the number of properties on the market for rent. I will be representing the people of Edinburgh by opposing this legislation in the parliament at every stage.
Surgeries
Surgeries are an important way in which I can hear from constituents. My next surgery will be
Monday 10th October
The Gyle Shopping Centre, Outside Starbucks
10 am
No Appointment Required
You can contact Jeremy at [email protected].