Report to the People
Power to the People in the New Greenock
The enemy of every community is the pessimist. The sort of person who wants to revel in failure and delight in disappointment. You suspect that if they were present when Moses parted the Red Sea, they would complain buses hadn’t been laid on to get them to the other side.
And in recent weeks, a number of issues - such as the threat to the Rankin Maternity Unit, the report on drug misuse and the ongoing financial situation at Morton - must have been music to the pessimists’ ears.
But, while we cannot be complacent, I think we should remember how far we’ve come. We’ve had major problems in the past, but have managed to rise above them. Many will remember, for example, when we had high levels of unemployment which denied a generation of our young people the right to work.
Since 1997, however, unemployment in Greenock & Inverclyde has fallen by around 19%. The unemployment rate here now stands at 4.5% - lower than, for example, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Dundee.
Nationally, the number in work is at a 40-year high and unemployment at a 27 year low. Inflation is at its lowest level since records began and, according to the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, growth is expected to outstrip the UK average.
There is, of course, much more to be done. If everyone is to share in this economic success, extra help must be given to our most disadvantaged. That is why £9 million is going from the Scottish Executive straight into the most deprived areas in Inverclyde.
Our successful regeneration has reinforced our strong community belief that we can meet any challenge. We have the confidence to take on the bureaucracy of a Health Board to ensure the future of local maternity services. We have the expectation that we will have a local football team which gives the fans a greater say and will match the ambition of our community. And we recognise that we are strong enough to face our greatest challenge - the misuse of drugs and all its consequences.
There is no denying that much more needs to be done, but this is not a time to wring our hands. Given our track record, I am confident that by working together we can overcome the challenges and face the future with optimism.
[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Calendar ] [ Contacts ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]
[ Copyright ] [ Open Government ] [ Scottish Parliament ]