NEWSLETTER Issue 1 Helensburgh Branch STRONGER FOR SCOTLAND NOVEMBER 2017 Conference Special Autumn 2017 by Patrick Johnstone (Political Education Officer) 20/10/2017 Welcome to the first edition of attended, as should be expected our SNP Helensburgh Branch’s with the second largest party newsletter! membership in the UK, and the largest party membership in In September we held our Branch Scotland. AGM at the Council Halls in Nicola at the SECC Glasgow Helensburgh, and our Our Members Day in Inveraray Constituency Association AGM perhaps caught us all by surprise. on board the Maid of the Loch in With an anticipated turnout of 30- Balloch. 40 members, the actual turnout on the day was nearer to 130-140! The AGM on the Maid of the Loch was quickly followed by Gordon If we can harness the enthusiasm MacIntyre-Kemp’s presentation of the members on that day, and on the important and influential engage just as positively, then role Business for Scotland played future electoral success and our in the Independence campaign of nation’s independence will be 2014, and its ongoing campaign assured. Team Helensburgh SNP to make the economic case for Scottish Independence. INSIDE: In October we have just had our • Your New Branch Committee National Conference in the Yes • Looking Ahead city of Glasgow, and just • Members Day in Inveraray attended our Argyll & Bute • Local Development Plan • Conference Election Results Members Day at the Loch Fyne Hotel in Inveraray. • SOCA Committee Report • Conference Photos Members Day in Inverary Much to the disappointment of • Business for Scotland Memes the unionist media our • Useful Links Page 1 conferences continue to be well NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 2 Your New Committee by Kevin Johnstone (Convener) At our Annual General Meeting of Thursday 14th September 2017, the following Branch Office Bearers were elected: • Convenor: Kevin Johnstone • Vice Convenor: Michelle Van der Stighelen • Secretary: John Scullion • Treasurer: Eleanor Hunter • Equalities Officer: Julie Murphy It was agreed at the AGM Branch • Organiser: Sandra McLauchlan • Social Media & IT: John Scullion Rule 8.3 “The quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee shall be • Membership Secretary: Trudi • Youth Officers: Niamh O’Hara & 6” will now be amended to “The Adam McCullagh Tompson quorum for meetings of the • Political Education Officer: • Ordinary Members: Alex West & Executive Committee shall be 50% Patrick Johnstone Eileen McCullagh of the Committee”. • Women’s Officer: Victoria Ferguson Looking Ahead by Kevin Johnstone (Convener) Firstly, can I say it is a honour and suggest that there may be trouble privilege to be selected as your ahead with the possibility of a Branch Convener. And secondly, I second snap General Election at would like to thank all the some point next year. outgoing committee for their exceptional contributions they And let us not forget that Indy Ref had made in what must have 2 is a distinct possibility too in the been some of the most grueling year ahead! elections at both Council and But until then we a have job to Westminster level in 2017. do, and time to relax as we Hopefully, the year ahead will prepare for whatever may come. prove to be less dramatic, though With Sandra as our new I suspect we cannot assume that Organiser and our new will be the case. Both Brexit and committee, we hope to bring the not so “strong and stable” some well-deserved fun events Conservative government would over the coming year. NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 3 Members Day 15/10/17 by Brendon O’Hara MP Not long back from our first I was delighted that Jim Mather, January 14th 2018, again in Members Day in Inveraray. And our former MSP could come Inveraray. what a day it was. As it was our along to facilitate the day and I’m delighted to tell everyone that first such venture, we had set Mind Map the results. a booking has been made and we ourselves a target of getting Jim’s work in this area is amazing will have the next Members Day approximately 40 members along and before the large group broke on Sunday January 14th 1300- to kick-start the event. down into six smaller groups, he 1700 at the Inveraray Inn. outlined the broad themes to be Although I organised the event, discussed. I’d like to put on record my thanks this wasn’t my day. I wasn’t to the management and staff of hosting it or leading the The whole idea of the day was to the Loch Fyne Hotel. Without discussion. It was a day for the give members the chance to their enormous goodwill, SNP members in Argyll & Bute to discuss in small groups a variety cheerfulness and willingness to discuss, plan, organise and of themes; why have we been help, this afternoon could have prepare for the future. successful in Argyll & Bute, what been chaotic. We catered for is our purpose, what are we good 40...they got 140. Nothing was The meeting was due to start at at, what do we need to get better too much trouble for them and I 1300 and I couldn’t believe it at doing and how do we deliver am very, very grateful for all they when we turned up at 1200 to set Argyll & Bute at the next did. But and I’m sure anyone who up the rooms, there were already independence referendum. was there today will agree, if we a couple of dozen folk waiting. get similar numbers in January, I knew then we were going to Following lively and lengthy we will need a bigger room. exceed the target. But folk just discussions, all the groups fed kept arriving until by 1300 there back into a plenary session. The Finally, thank you to every single were far too many folk to fit in results were fascinating and once SNP Member in Argyll & Bute the room and we had to hurriedly Jim has tidied up his Mind Map, I who came along this afternoon. I organise a bigger room. Even will distribute it to every member hope you enjoyed it and found it then, there were folk left standing of the party in the constituency. as useful as I did. outside in the corridor. Ideally, this will lead to a more in- See you on January 14th...and depth discussion at branches over why not bring a friend. We had Branch representatives the coming weeks with branches from Oban, Mid-Argyll, Tarbert, then feeding back their thoughts; All the best Campbeltown, Islay, Strachur, thoughts that will inform the Brendan Holy Loch, Dunoon, Bute, agenda for when we next meet. Lomond North and Helensburgh. The day was completed by the No one managed an accurate excellent Paul Kavanagh and his headcount but judging by the (not so) Wee Ginger Dug. Paul’s group photograph and the fact hilarious and insightful talk was that not everyone joined in the the perfect was to round off a photo, a conservative estimate fantastic day. put the figure of 140 SNP members. Astonishing! The folk who were there agreed to hold our next Members Day on NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 4 Local Development Plan by Michelle Van der Stighelen (Vice temporary accommodation or Convener & Senior Parliamentary even rough-sleeping. Assistant to Brendan O’Hara MP) For everyone at the grassroots, The consultation is open now and politics affects every part of our will close on 11th December. If day-to-day life. Yet, so often, you are interested in local issues, local issues are overlooked but want to help shape the future of are the first to be criticised when Argyll and Bute or even if you’re things go wrong. As a political just concerned with Helensburgh group, we should be versed at all and Lomond, we would urge you levels of the political spectrum. to go to the consultation page Right now, the local development and have your say. At the next branch meeting, there may be plan for Argyll and Bute is under consultation and will dictate time to discuss any areas which development in the whole are a particular cause for concern. constituency for the next 10 years The local development plan can and the vision for the next 20. be viewed at: There are various proposals, https://www.argyll- some uncontroversial, some bute.gov.uk/ldp2 which perhaps need more scrutiny. One is the proposed and there is a drop-in session for number of new houses to be built the Local Development plan and the other is the (main issues report) on Tuesday establishment of a new national 21st November between 4pm park to the west of Argyll and and 6pm in the Victoria Halls, a Bute. planning officer will be present. From a constituency perspective, Michelle one area that comes up time and time again is the lack of good quality accommodation, much of the existing stock is in a poor state of repair and the levels of homelessness continue unabated. We need more housing, we particularly need more family- friendly housing and we need to find an answer to the high number of single males in NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 5 83rd Annual National Conference by www.snp.org Election Results: National Office Graham Campbell Bearers and Committees Greg McCarra Organisation Convener Jennifer Dunn Fiona McLeod Malcolm Balfour Political Education Convener Owen Thompson Fiona McLeod Douglas Daniel Ricky Taylor TWO Ordinary Members of the National Executive Committee Sandra White (from parliamentarians) NINE Members of Disciplinary Stewart McDonald Committee Tommy Sheppard Elaine Wylie SIX Ordinary Members of the Gill Samarai National Executive Committee Kirsteen Currie (from non-parliamentarians) Lorna Finn Douglas Daniel Grant Thoms Malcolm Balfour Josh Mennie Munro Ross Kirsten Oswald Owen Thompson Margaret Ferrier Sandra Stevenson Mhairi Hunter Scott Blair Roz Currie SIX Members of Standing Orders FIFTEEN Members of National and Agenda Committee Council Ivan McKee Stewart McDonald Alex Orr Joan McAlpine Alexander Kerr Lorraine Alexander Anne McLaughlin Patrick Grady Chris Hanlon Rosemary Hunter Danny Aston Stewart Stevenson Dot Jessiman Elaine Wylie Gerry Fisher Tommy Sheppard NEWSLETTER | Issue 1 6 REPORT OF THE STANDING ORDERS AND AGENDA COMMITTEE Finally, can I thank all members of the committee for their hard Dr Angus MacLeod, National terms of how important they work over the last year, and those Secretary were to have a debate on.