Dave Thompson MSP

Dear Sir.

My old friend, Roddy Murray, (West Highland Free Press, 17 May 2013) is at it again.

The same old negative girning and the same old misinformation. According to Roddy, the Scottish Government does nothing for Skye. Isn’t it, therefore, rather unfortunate for Roddy that the front page of the same Free Press has a feature on yet more money from the Scottish Government to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig which will allow SMO to get on with creating the first new village on Skye for 100 years and boosting the College at the same time.

He specifically cites closure of the courts and cuts in CalMac staff pay to bolster his meagre case but I would suggest that the transfer of the Justice of the Peace Court work in Portree to the Sheriff Court, both use the same building, is a very sensible move which will have no effect on Justice or jobs. As far as the Cal Mac staff are concerned I can tell him that I have signed a parliamentary motion supporting them on a cross party basis and that we had a very fruitful meeting in the parliament with the TSSA Union recently. I, therefore, have every confidence that common sense will prevail and that a sensilble conclusion will be reached.

Just for the record, I can also let Roddy know, in case he hasn’t noticed, that there are plenty of good things happening on Skye apart from the millions of pounds to SMO. Eilean Ban Trust are to get a long lease for the Island; Raasay is getting a new hybrid ferry; Broadford has a new Medical Centre; Portree has new Dental Surgeries and Dentists and a High speed Fibre Optic Broadband cable, giving up to 80mb, is to be run through the island and over to the Western Isles at a cost of £146 million in the near future.

Of course, there is much to do and I am working away on things like improvements to the Breakish road; assisting with the FlySkye campaign; backing Highland Council on their Stromeferry proposals; pushing for RET for all of the ferries and pressing for funding for a new “state of the art” Hospital for Skye and Lochalsh.

All of this in the middle of a Westminster inspired lengthy recession. If we can do this with limited powers in difficult times, just think what we could do with the full powers of an independent nation.

Scotland has the potential to do so much better and I live in hope that Roddy might join us in our march forward  or does he really want a future where we are guaranteed regular right wing Tory governments which attack the poor and reward the rich?

What would Roddy prefer? An independent Scottish government chosen by the people of Scotland, maybe even his own Labour party, or a Tory government in London, possibly in coalition with UKIP?

I know Roddy is a decent man and that the thought of a Tory/UKIP coalition will chill his blood but it is now a real possibility after the next UK election. The “NO” campaign seems quite relaxed about that, but is it a price Roddy is willing to pay for the sake of a Union which has outlived its usefulness?

Yours sincerely,

Dave

Dave Thompson MSP Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch (SNP) Constituency Office Thorfin House Bridgend Business Park Dingwall