Report to the People
Roll on Summer
As you contemplate whether to get the bus into the town or, given what the weather’s been like, just swim there, you might grumpily reflect that this is supposed to be half way through the Greenock Fair.
While it was no so long ago that every factory, yard, office, butcher’s, barber’s and just about every other place of business would simply close down for two weeks, the old Greenock Fair Fortnight today exists in little more than name. In our 21st Century, 24 hour society, it is like a relic from a far-off, bygone era.
Indeed, most of the community representatives my Westminster colleague, David Cairns, and I welcomed to our annual open office reception on Fair Friday were not enjoying a long weekend, but taking time out from work.
As were we. Like our guests, we were back at work on Monday. Politics, I’m sure you’ll be delighted to hear, does not shut down over the summer. In fact, no matter where you looked last week, there seemed to be MSPs popping up, making announcements.
Health Minister, Malcolm Chisholm, for example, set out how his department plans respond to a newly published report on recruiting, training and retaining Scotland's medical workforce. A key issue in the NHS in Scotland (all the scanners and new drugs in the world aren’t much good if the NHS doesn’t have staff who know how to use them), the minister pledged sustained investment to increase the NHS workforce. He also announced the establishment of a number of working groups to drive forward the report’s recommendations – including exploring fast-track medical careers and mature entry to medicine.
Also last week, Education Minister, Cathy Jamieson, confirmed that Inverclyde will receive £400,000 over the next two years to roll out the new community school programme. These bring together teachers, social workers, family workers and the other support services which are essential to give vulnerable children a good start in life.
And, on the Lifelong Learning front, Minister in charge, Lewis Macdonald, announced how an additional £17.5 million will be distributed to further and higher education. This means that colleges will receive an extra £10 million for improvements to their buildings and infrastructure and universities will get £7.5 million to support capital investment in science and technology teaching.
So, along with wasps, bored weans, seemingly relentless rain and holidays that are about twice as expensive as you thought they would be, politicians are just another joy of the season.
Roll on summer, eh?
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