Category Archives: Isle of Harris

Who is to blame as knock-on from inter-island axe begins to bite? “Blaming the public simply will not do.”

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Angus MacNeil MP has written to Business Secretary Vince Cable asking to cut Royal Mail costs by also carrying the daily papers to Lewis Harris and Uist and Benbecula. Newspapers in the islands are now being delivered by ferry because of increased freight charges by the carrier Loganair.

The MP said: “It is of course disappointing that daily newspapers will not be arriving in most of the islands until lunchtime, these changes affect islands from Eriskay to Lewis, with Barra unaffected due to a different distribution route.”

He has written to Cable to see if there is a possibility of combining the mail flight with the papers which could cut the cost of both services.

“Further, many people like to get their papers in the morning and for some people, especially pensioners, getting the papers can be almost a morning ritual. This social benefit combined with the obvious advantage to the shops to have papers on the shelves before they become history, further illustrates good sound reasons for at least exploring the possibility of the Royal Mail charter plane also carrying newspapers.
“It seems eminently sensible that a plane coming over with the Royal Mail, daily, should take over the newspapers. This could be a win-win situation; it would be a way of reducing costs for the Royal Mail, something Government is constantly worried about, and ensuring that newspapers are delivered to the islands at a reasonable time.”

Meanwhile, Barra member Donald Manford has pointed the finger at the council leadership. He said: “The calamitous implications of council axing Uist and Barra flights, continues to escalate. Directly and indirectly over 20 flights in total are lost, including connections between Stornoway, Inverness and Edinburgh. How much more will be lost while the council howls “it’s not our fault”?
“Council leader Angus Campbell informed the Cabinet Secretary that, while he was sad at having to withdraw the service, that is what his public consultation told him. Blaming the public simply will not do. It is now undeniable that public money has been provided to the council for air services and that the council transferred the money elsewhere.

“I commend MSP Alasdair Allan for seeking an urgent meeting with the newspaper industry’s distributors, to try and resolve this problem. Credit also to Angus MacNeil MP for contacting Secretary of State, Vince Cable MP, to urge him to look at the Royal Mail system to improve communication and make cost savings.
“I further urge the council to reconsider its decision to axe the services. Failing that, it could apply to transfer to government the transport powers it has abdicated, in order that alternative forms of delivering the transport can be investigated.”

Harris doc among exceptional GPs in the North of Scotland

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A GP from Harris is among five doctors from the North of Scotland to be awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) at an awards ceremony in London.

Fellowship – the highest level of RCGP membership – is presented to family doctors deemed by the College to demonstrate its standards, values and commitment to high quality general practice.

naylor

Dr Andrew Naylor

Dr Andrew Naylor, who is based on the Isle of Harris, said: “I feel very honoured to have been elected as a Fellow and my family and I very much enjoyed the ceremony down in London.”

Dr Iona Heath, President of the RCGP, said: “Fellowship is awarded to doctors only after a thorough review of their professional achievements. We are extremely proud of what our newly elected Fellows have accomplished both in the contribution they make to their local community and in upholding the high standards of general practice.”

The others from the north are Dr Alastair Michie from Kingussie, Dr John Millar from Dingwall, Dr Susan Tracey from Inverness and Dr Michael Langran from Aviemore,

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 46,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.

The 86 fellowships were awarded at the RCGP Awards Ceremony at Shaw Theatre at the Pullman London St Pancras Hotel. GPs from across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland were awarded a Fellowship.

Stornoway GP Dr Robert Dickie, who is chairman of the North of Scotland Faculty of the RCGP, said: “I am delighted to see these doctors receive recognition for all their hard work on behalf of their patients. For five out of 18 of the Scottish Fellows to have come from our area reflects on the quality of General Practice in the North of Scotland.”

Harris artist calls on all island councillors to acknowledge fuel campaign efforts

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A well-known artist on Harris has made a public call to councillors to sign a letter expressing their support for the campaign to bring down island fuel prices.

Willie Fulton, who has a studio at Drinnishader, is puzzled as to why Western Isles Council has still failed to heap praise and supportive appreciation for the efforts of Gordon Maclennan at Back.

Willie Fulton (self-portrait)

He asked: “How can they not support him for tackling a major economic problem on these islands, where fuel is a lifeblood necessity and is essential to every aspect of island life?”

Mr Fulton, a former teacher and an Artist Member of the Paisley Art Institute, has lived and worked on Harris since 1976. He maintains the issue is not just the basic price of the fuel but how that is reflected in what is possible here. For instance, he asked, did it mean that the commuter from Harris to Stornoway can now consider continuing in a job that was becoming a financial impossibility?

“Does it mean the difference between affording a car or not, for hard pressed families? It is in a sense, the lifeblood of the place and yet it took one man’s bravery to put his head above the parapet and keep it there, ably supported by Fair Fuel Solutions and blogs of this nature to achieve this result.
“When does the praise arrive? Where are Allan and Macneil? It would do Angus Campbell and the Comhairle no harm to make a sweeping statement of support for this. We await the collective signed letter in the press from all of the councillors who recognise and applaud this campaign as being crucial to the island’s present and future economic well-being.”

The plea by Mr Fulton, whose stunning views of Harris have been shown in places as far apart as An Lanntair and galleries in New York and Cannes, for public recognition of the fuel campaign has now been sent to every councillor.

I will, of course, publish their responses, if they decide to make any.

Statement from Iain Don Maciver

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Following much soul searching and self examination, along with deep discussion with my wife and children and many friends and aquaiitances, I have decided to put myself forward as an independent candidate in the Sgire an Rubha ward at the Council Election in May.

This is not a decision that I have arrived at easily, especially as it means that I have to give up my SNP membership, but given the abandonment of RET for Commercial vehicles, which is going to have such a detrimental impact on the islands I see no other choice for me.

Having said all that I find the reaction of the Labour Party pitiful, especially given their negativity to RET from the outset and I totally refute their statements which only emphasise how out of touch they are with the electorate in our islands.

Regards

Iain Don Maciver
15 Lower Bayble

Honourable SNP candidate quits over Keith Brown’s RET fiasco. Alasdair Allan still valiantly defends the move that will destroy island firms and jobs.

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If there is one person in the Western Isles who understands RET and how it works it is Iain Don Maciver. As a CalMac port manager he has dealt with more queries about it than he has had hot dinners.

Rare. A man of honour

Having decided to stand for council, he has set out the things he believes are vital for these islands to survive rapacious fuel barons and uncaring self-absorbed national politicians. As one of the longest-standing SNP activists, he found it incredible that his party was trying to scrap RET for lorries and to hike the price by 172%.

He was sickened. Iain Don realised he could not go on the doorsteps of Point and defend that incredibly damaging move. Only hypocrites would even try. Councillors are meant to pledge to improve people’s lives. He couldn’t do it. So, as the shabby RET consultation is over and the evil levy will happen, he has confirmed he is not standing. He may even quit the party.  A man of honour.

They are rarer than hen’s teeth these people of honour who are prepared to sacrifice their own ambitions because of their own conscience and genuine concern for others. We salute Iain Don.

Make no mistake, you other intending candidates. Listen to the party spin at your peril. Alasdair Allan is happy to defend Keith Brown’s plan. As he so happily pointed out to me last week, in another context, he doesn’t have an election to fight in May. He’s not that bothered.

Any islander who stands on an SNP ticket while that party’s uncaring and relentlessly-ambitious minister Keith Brown is inflicting such damage on these islands will be regarded by the rest of us as a shallow, self-seeking hypocrite.

Many have already put their names forward on a wave of hysteria last year after a daft SNP campaign to put obviously incapable people up to fight every ward. I know a couple of them wish they hadn’t but regret is not enough.

Alex Salmond had a chance to overrule Brown. He failed to do anything because he wants to save £2 million and doesn’t care who suffers. The island candidates now must pull out – if they have a conscience. Otherwise, they will absolutely deserve what the electorate will inflict on them at the election. They will become pariahs. It’s make your mind up time.

“Useful” or “disappointing”? One meeting with Keith Brown – yet two very different accounts from the people who were there

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The SNP-controlled Scottish Government is to punish islanders for voting them in by increasing commercial fares on island ferry routes by 172 per cent. The abolition of commercial RET will cause the collapse of many businesses and could cause people to move away and live elsewhere, some think.

The SNP is now deeply split over what they say is an extortion attempt which betrays how the party regards the islands. We absolutely need fair fares. At least one nationalist candidate for the council is said to have threatened not to stand and to also quit the party if it goes ahead. Others are “considering their position”.

A meeting of hauliers and community representatives was urgently arranged for Tuesday with Scottish transport minister Keith Brown. After it, Dr Alasdair Allan and Angus MacNeil said in a joint statement:

Useful or disappointing? What do you think?

“This was a useful and productive meeting and the Minister listened carefully to the communities’ concerns, which were very clearly put. The Scottish Government is investing £5 million in RET for non-commercial travel and that investment is vital, though the focus of the meeting today was on the future of fares for lorries.

“The Transport Minister was clear as he has been throughout, that his view is that the budget cannot sustain RET for haulage to the islands, but he has agreed to come back with proposals to address the companies’ concerns and we very much welcome that move. Businesses and communities have faced rising fuel, VAT and insurance costs and we made that clear to the minister.

“There were ideas put forward tonight including larger discounts, steps to ensure smaller hauliers do not lose out to larger hauliers and a clear commitment from the minister that he wants to see a fair system of ferry fares in the future. We are confident that when the minister comes back to us he will have taken on board our concerns and we will see a system that takes account of the interests of the community.”

However, this statement then came from Outer Hebrides Transport Group:

David Wood of Woody’s Express in Stornoway said: “We went to the meeting with Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown with the firm belief that he would listen and appreciate the arguments we were presenting on behalf of island communities. Unbelievably, he refused access to the meeting for some members of our delegation. The Scottish government would only allow people of their choosing into the room and sadly our MSP and MP never spoke up for their constituents and left them standing on the steps of St Andrew’s House”.

Norman MacAskill from Drimore Farm in South Uist, one of those denied access – described the refusal as an “affront to democracy”. And he added: “Politicians are meant to be servants of the people and for them to refuse to listen to people who work in businesses and communities in the islands is a disgrace – we are facing a massive price hike in ferry fares.”

David Wood added: ” We have a major fight on our hands to stop this household and haulage tax. Keith Brown refused to accept our very reasonable request for a proper consultation into the Government’s proposal to remove support for commercial traffic to the Western Isles. Without a proper and economic impact study we will not have a full understanding what these price rises will mean for our islands until it’s too late. There is a massive contrast between the efforts of our MP and MSP – my feeling is that Angus Brendan MacNeil is actually trying to secure a positive outcome for us”.

Gail Robertson of DJ Buchanan Haulage and Co-ordinator of the OHTG said: “Today’s meeting was disappointing – but we will not be giving up – there is too much at stake for our islands and the 100 businesses and other members of the public who have signed up for our campaign know what is at stake. We would like to thank leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Councillor Angus Campbell. Angus has been first class, a great ally and is completely focussed on stopping the economic carnage that will flow from the Government’s flawed ferry pricing policy.”

New newspaper about to launch in the Western Isles

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According to the Twittersphere in the last hour or two, someone is to launch a new newspaper for the Western Isles in March. Well, there have been rumours for some time.

Dummy of new paper spotted in island shop.

I understand the Island News is going to be monthly at first and build from there. The commercial model is free – based on the same formula which has proved so successful for Fred Silver’s Events.

This one, however, seems to be more news-led so I suspect a gnarled old hack with ink-stained body parts must be in the hot seat.

Hmm, hope this editor is a friendly type who will reach out to all corners of the community and all news sources. That would be nice.

If they want to make an impact, they will have to go for proper campaigning journalism instead of slumping back into churning out the virtually untouched press releases which have been our staple diet for so very long. There are plenty issues they could pick.

Oops, is that a spelling mistake at the top of the dummy front page? Surely not.

Minister should not decide who can complain to him over RET

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OUTER HEBRIDES TRANSPORT GROUP
Email: [email protected]

NEWS RELEASE

OUTER HEBRIDES TRANSPORT GROUP DEMAND THAT MINISTER GIVES ACCESS TO ALL

Gail Robertson of DJ Buchanan Haulage in Benbecula and Co-ordinator of the Outer Hebrides Transport Group said: “The Scottish Government should remember that it’s islanders that want the meeting on Tuesday. By denying islanders access to a meeting in Edinburgh, Scottish Transport Minister, Keith Brown is behaving like a football manager who wants to select not only his own team but also his opponents’.
“We will be taking a full squad to St Andrew’s House in the hope and expectation that Mr Brown will reconsider his position”.

One of those denied a chance to make the case for the retention of RET for commercial vehicles, livestock haulier and agricultural supplier, Norman MacAskill of Drimore Farm on South Uist, said: “I can’t believe that the transport minister is so arrogant that he feels he can dictate to the islands who can go and speak with him and I can’t believe how politically impotent our MSP Alasdair Allan is.
“How on earth can Mr Allan not secure a meeting for people involved in crofting, fishing, construction, fish farming and weaving. Regardless of his attitude we will be going to Edinburgh and hope that Mr Brown will let us into the meeting. Islanders are now appreciating the devastating impact the removal of RET will have on every household and business.
“This SNP tax will have a devastating effect on our economy. Mr Brown would do well to remember that the first SNP representative in the islands was Donald Stewart who campaigned for RET and he would be turning in his grave if he were to appreciate what the SNP Government were proposing. People might think that Islanders have heather growing out their ears but we assure Mr Brown that we are not coming with sticks and knives”

David Wood of Woody’s Express said: “The behaviour of the SNP on this issue has been breathtakingly arrogant. We have a simple message for Keith Brown. We want a continuation of RET for commercial vehicles and we want the government to undertake a proper consultation and not to fob islanders off with the sham they are calling a consultation.
“Islanders are amazed that the government is choosing who can lobby them and shutting the door to a representative group – we hope they will see sense before Tuesday afternoon.”

More from Sam Chambers in the chamber …

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More from the Stornoway fuel meeting from Maciver TV

More footage of how a string of Scottish Fuels flunkies tried in vain to defend their pricing policy in the Western Isles.

Barmy SNP minister Keith Brown and Alasdair Allan try to ban certain islanders from meeting over RET fiasco. Read why SNP must not be allowed to win in May unless they keep full RET.

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OUTER HEBRIDES TRANSPORT GROUP
Email: [email protected]

Office of Keith Brown
Scottish Transport Minister

Dear XXXXXX

The Outer Hebrides Transport Group will not be accepting as specified, the invitation to meet with Transport Minister Keith Brown MSP.

We are appalled that Keith Brown and our MSP Alasdair Allan are manipulating the list of people who can go and represent more than 90 island based companies who’ve signed up for our campaign, at the meeting scheduled for Edinburgh next Tuesday. And to add further insult Mr Brown is offering us only 45 minutes of his time.

Barmy Brown thinks he and Allan can decide who can complain

As you should know by now, the withdrawal of RET for commercial vehicles is not an issue that solely concerns the hauliers of these islands. This economic folly will impact on every family and business in the Outer Hebrides. And our Group is implacably opposed to the flawed household and haulage tax that the SNP Government is determined to implement in two months’ time.

Sadly, fundamental democratic principles and the conventions of common courtesy have been jettisoned by Mr Allan and the Transport Minister. Can they explain why the names of our MP, Angus Brendan MacNeil, (critical of the policy) and our council leader Angus Campbell (a critic also) have been omitted from the list those of those “approved” to meet the SNP Government next week?

And can they further explain why SNP councillor Donald Manford has been added to the “approved” list without any reference to our Group or indication as to why he should attend and the council leader and others be denied access to the meeting.

When did the Scottish Government begin approving those fit to lobby or meet with SNP Government minister? This type of censorship, control and attempted manipulation should embarrass any democrat.

This RET issue affects every man woman and child in the Hebrides and to that end government must hear the views from across the economic community of the islands. The goods we take to and from the Hebrides sustain our economy, and hauliers are a small but vital part of that process. Our MP and our Council Leader, along with others, must be allowed to make that case in Edinburgh.

As co-ordinator of the Outer Hebrides Transport Group I was asked to bring together a representative group to meet with the minister – but I can assure you that neither I, nor my colleagues, will be bullied or coerced into meeting on the terms dictated by Alasdair Allan MSP or Transport Minister, Keith Brown.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope that they will see sense and allow our Group to determine in the normal manner those who should make the case to protect the interests of the islands economy.

Yours sincerely

Gail Robertson
Co-ordinator
Outer Hebrides Transport Group