MSP Welcomes Community Theatre Group Cash Boost

A community theatre group has received a four-figure sum National Lottery Awards for All Scotland grant from Creative Scotland.

The Buckie Community Theatre group will be awarded a total of £6,070 and plan to use the cash injection to transform the upper levels of its building into a practice hall, costume storage facility and sewing room.

The refurbishment will provide a space for community groups and will allow the charity to provide training and support to young people interested in costume production and design.

Commenting, Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson said:

“I am delighted the Buckie Community Theatre Group have secured this funding to assist them in their ambitions.

“I am sure many people benefit from the use of it and this will offer additional benefit to the group and wider community.

“Congratulations to the Buckie Community Theatre group for their hard work in securing the funding.”

A National Lottery Awards for All spokesperson said:

“This funding will help a range of arts, sports and community groups from across Scotland to bring their projects ideas to life. If you, and your local community group, would like to join them in celebrating a National Lottery award, you can find out how to apply by visiting www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/scotland.”

Douglas Ross Continues to Hold Constituents in Contempt

"Not Good Enough" to Just Turn Down World Cup Role
Douglas Ross must go further than just not refereeing while parliament is sitting and fulfil the promises made to his constituents that his “footballing and refereeing hobby won’t impact on [his] parliamentary duties”, the SNP has said today.

© See footnote

Mr Ross faced criticism from across the political spectrum for failing to appear at a crucial debate on Universal Credit last week, choosing instead to help referee a Champions League fixture in Barcelona. He has now confirmed that he won’t accept refereeing appointments while parliament is sitting – but still intends to referee fixtures at the weekend.

The SNP has now called on Douglas Ross to honour his pre-election commitment and properly fulfil his duties as the constituency member of parliament for Moray.

Mr Ross will be running the line at the Hearts v Rangers match at Murrayfield tomorrow – likely requiring two days in Edinburgh when he should be in his constituency.

Since his election Mr Ross has courted further controversy after launching an attack on the Gypsy/Traveller community in his constituency.

Commenting, SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson said:

“This is an overdue but welcome first step, but it is still just not good enough from Douglas Ross.

“He continues to flout his pre-election pledge that his refereeing won’t impact on his parliamentary duties – he seems to be forgetting that his parliamentary duties don’t end when he leaves Westminster.

“He may well be hoping for sympathy that he doesn’t get a trip to the World Cup next year – but that step alone is not good enough, and he is mistaken if he thinks this puts the issue to bed.

“Mr Ross should be concentrating on his first job of representing his constituents not his second job of running the line. And yet again we see that tomorrow he is avoiding his constituency in order to officiate at Hearts v Rangers – it’s simply not sustainable for him to continue to short-change the people who elected him.

“Not only is his second job becoming untenable, but his first job is too – as he continues to break a promise made to his constituents. Just when will he be out and about in his constituency hearing about the big issues facing people there – like the universal credit rollout?

“It’s time for Douglas Ross to actually honour his pre-election commitment that his very well paid hobby won’t get in the way of his duties as an MP – otherwise it will be perfectly clear that his constituents have been conned.”

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Footnote on copyright for photo of Mr Ross

© www.parliament.uk, 2017

This photograph is licensed under the Open Government Licence 3.0.

MSP Calls on Gove to Ensure Payments are Made to Scottish Farmers

Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has called on the UK Government to ensure convergence uplift money is paid to Scottish farmers.

The MSP has written to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, for clarification on the issue.

It comes as it was revealed farmers and crofters are owed £160million in convergence uplift money which was granted to the UK by the EU in 2014 because of low area payments in Scotland.

Mr Stevenson has asked Mr Gove to confirm when and if he has spoken to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Connectivity Fergus Ewing after he had advised he would speak to him on the matter.

In his letter to Mr Gove, he said:

“I note that at a meeting of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Committee last month you were asked whether Defra would commit to passing on the convergence uplift money, which was granted to the UK by the EU in 2014 because of low area payments in Scotland.

“Scotland’s farmers and crofters are owed £160 million – there is no getting away from that and this money must not be tied to Brexit considerations – it is owed now and needs to be repaid now.

“However, it is also vital that the issue of low hectare payments in Scotland is sorted, or our farmers and crofters will continue to be short-changed in any post-Brexit funding settlement.”

Commenting, Stewart Stevenson MSP said:

“This money rightly belongs to Scottish farmers and it should be returned to them immediately.

“They have been left with an unfair playing field and the amount farmers receive throughout the UK are not comparable levels of payments for their hard work.

“I have written to Mr Gove to make sure this money is not tied to Brexit negotiations.”