The Scottish Parliament elections and the candidates advocating for independence – what do we want from them and what purpose do they serve? The SNP candidate elections heat up as the nomination date has passed. Many areas are looking at very diverse contests to push forward great new ideas for constituencies across the country. Forward thinking activists are taking the leap to represent areas they … Continue reading Young Architects of Indy Scotland

North Lanarkshire Council on August 13th 2020 passed two historic motions endorsing the ideals of the Black Lives Matter movement and to implement anti-racist education within all schools within the local authority. The composite motion between the Deputy Leader of the administration and myself (SNP Equalities Officer) has established that there will be a review of all statues, historical symbols, buildings and schools in North … Continue reading Co-operating for action on racism

As we move from the peak of protests and awareness campaigns for the Black Lives Matter movement, a reasonable question to ask is – what positive consequences have come as a result of the racial equality commitments made in Scotland? Within the Scottish Parliament, there is hope that with the approaching Holyrood elections in less than a year we may see Scotland’s first black parliamentarian … Continue reading Black Lives Matter – What is now being achieved

Over the last month we have seen a surge in discussion about race relations due to the worldwide protests taking place against the murder of George Floyd in the United States. Against the advice of the Scottish Government, gatherings took place in Edinburgh and Glasgow to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement globally. However, how effective are these protests in addressing racial … Continue reading Scotland’s Response to Black Lives Matter: The Next Steps

Ramadan is considered a month full of blessing, joy and togetherness for Muslim communities across the world. It is a month where Muslims choose to not eat, drink, smoke or have sex during the hours of sunrise to sunset for 30 days. Usually Mosques are filled with worshippers every night of the month standing in prayer, families and friends host extravagant dinners for each other … Continue reading Religious Communities and Covid-19

Across the world, Covid-19 is challenging services in a way never before seen and this has been the case with our local authorities too. As a Councillor within North Lanarkshire Council, I have been thoroughly encouraged by the effort of our staff and in particular heads of service who were quick to implement our detailed resilience management arrangements. The Gold ‘strategic’ and Silver ‘tactical’ groups … Continue reading Covid-19: Scottish Local Authority Responses

As Brexit day arrived, the First Minister invited some of us from the Young Scots for Independence movement to an announcement. Rumours were rife with some suggesting a date for an independence referendum may actually be announced. Scotland being forcibly removed from our partners in the European Union, recent denial from Westminster to allow the Scottish Government to hold an independence referendum and the sudden … Continue reading Invitation on the Brexit day

Grassroots activism is the foundation for our future elected members The snap general election created a space for significant change to be realised across the United Kingdom and we will see over the next few months the full consequence of the result. Over the last few election cycles many candidates have contested seats they may have considered ‘safe’ and have had their position either substantially … Continue reading At the end of the day all politics are local

At the heart of the snap general election campaign this year is every political party’s vision on Brexit, but I can’t help but see – or not see – one glaring element that has been secluded from the election. Diverse representation. During the Brexit campaign a number of pledges were made about “taking back control of our borders” or other passive aggressive one-liners which sought … Continue reading Female and BAME Westminster Candidates – where are the champions for our communities?

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an exciting annual event where local government representatives meet to discuss good practice and create opportunities for collegiate working across Europe. This year I had the pleasure of attending the international conference in Brussels on behalf of Scotland representing a delegation of Young Elected Politicians – or YEPs – who spoke on behalf of Europe’s vibrant political … Continue reading New connections, new future