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NEWSLETTER | Issue 8 1 SNP Helensburgh Branch STRONGER FOR SCOTLAND JUNE 2018 THE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH COMMISSION REPORT IS HERE SUMMER CONFERENCE AT SNP WESTMINISTER GROUP SNP TO BECOME SECOND ABERDEEN SECC WALK OUT OF WESTMINISTER LARGEST UK PARTY? NEWSLETTER | Issue 8 2 The Sustainable Growth Summer Conference at Commission Report Aberdeen SECC PAGE INDEX Here's the website if you've not I hope those of you who made it Page 2 – “The Sustainable already seen it: along to Conference had a good Growth Commission Report” time, and I hope those of you who https://www.sustainablegrowthco didn't at least got the opportunity Page 2 – “Summer Conference” mmission.scot to watch it on TV or online! If not, Page 3 – “SNP MPs Leave here are links to all the videos on Chamber”, Brendan O’Hara MP Please also find the summary the SNP's Facebook page: (emailed with this newsletter) Page 4/5 – “Independence can which has the 50 key Day 1 help us achieve our ambitions for Scotland”, Nicola Sturgeon MSP recommendations made by the Conference welcome by Kirsty and First Minister SGC. Blackman MP, Westminster Group Depute Leader & Depute Leader Page 6 – “Setting the world’s These are simply result: most ambitious climate change recommendations. targets”, Roseanna Cunningham Video Link 1 MSP We will be having three National Page 7 – “How we’re working to Assemblies, one for each section of Address by Ian Blackford MP, end homelessness”, Jennie the SGC report (Economic Growth, Westminster Group Leader: Gollan Fiscal Framework, Currency). Video Link 2 Page 8/9 – “Mental health is just These events will allow us to thrash as important as physical health”, Nicola Sturgeon MSP and First out the finer detail amongst Afternoon Session (Resolutions 2 - Minister ourselves, which will lead on to 7, Topicals 1 – 3 and Address by concrete proposals for resolutions John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Page 10 – “Our action on to Annual Conference in the Minister): obesity”, Jennie Gollan Autumn. Page 11 – “SNP Aberdeen Video Link 3 Conference Addresses” Only then will anything in this report become SNP party policy. Day 2 Page 12 – “Upcoming Events” Address by Jeanne Freeman MSP, Currently, this is merely a platform Minister for Social Security: Page 13 – “Indyposterboy” for debate - but what a summer of Page 14 – “Useful Links” debate we're going to have! Video Link 4 Finally, here are four videos Address by Mike Russell MSP, summarising the report. These are Minister for UK Negotiations on particularly good for sharing. Scotland's Place in Europe: SGC - Introduction (1:06) Video Link 5 SGC - Economy (12:30) Afternoon Session (Resolutions 8 - 11, Topicals 4 & 5 and Address by SGC - Fiscal Framework (6:17) Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister): SGC - Currency (4:30) Video Link 6 Also, we have a clip of Nicola talking about the report: The resolution results for will be emailed out next week. SGC - Nicola By Patrick Johnstone, Political Education Officer NEWSLETTER | Issue 8 3 SNP MPS Leave Chamber By Brendan O’Hara MP The Brexit legislation leaves Holyrood exposed to having powers Note: taken without consent in areas The standing order for the House to including trade deals, sit in private is 163. environmental standards and food safety – all issues of key concern to 163.— the Scottish Parliament. (1) If at any sitting of the House, or Following the decision by the SNP, in a committee of the whole House, SNP MPs have walked out of the Labour, the Greens and the Liberal any Member moves ‘That the House Chamber during Prime Minister’s Democrats in the Scottish sit in private’ the Speaker or the Questions, following repeated Parliament to refuse to give consent chair shall forthwith put the attempts to silence Scotland’s to Westminster’s damaging Brexit voice. legislation – a failure by the UK question ‘That the House sit in Government to amend the private’, and such question, though Ian Blackford MP used a standing legislation in light of the Scottish opposed, may be decided after the order to call for the House of Parliament’s view is a fundamental expiration of the time for opposed Commons to sit in private, following breach of the devolution business, but such a Motion may be the Prime Minister’s failure to bring settlement. made no more than once in any forward emergency legislation on sitting: Provided that the Speaker or the EU Withdrawal Bill. Commenting, Brendan O’Hara said: “It’s a democratic outrage that the chairman may, whenever he The SNP Westminster Leader used Scotland’s voice should be so thinks fit, order the withdrawal of the parliamentary procedure to callously disregarded by those other than Members or ensure the will of the Scottish Westminster and outrageous that Officers from any part of the House. Parliament is respected and the the leader of the 3rd largest party, Brexit legislation pauses until the the SNP, should be told leave the (2) An order under paragraph (1) of Scottish Parliament’s Legislative chamber on an accepted procedural this order shall not apply to Consent Motion is considered as the matter.” members of the House of Lords. UK leaves the European Union. “I was inundated by protests by Link also here: Local MP, Brendan O’Hara constituents following the lack of described events in the House of debate on devolution issues in the https://publications.parliament.uk/ Commons last night (Tuesday) as a EU Withdrawal debate. What pa/cm201516/cmstords/1154/bod ‘democratic outrage’ as the Tories’ happened in Tuesday’s debate was y.htm#163 power grab on devolved a disgraceful abuse of the UK’s administrations was not debated in power over Scotland. We cannot the chamber – and Labour keep allowing this to happen.” abstained on a devolution amendment ‘in a shocking Ian Blackford said: “The Prime dereliction of duty’. Minister gave a commitment that she would treat Scotland as part of The SNP tabled amendments to the a ‘union of equals’. Yet last night she UK Government’s EU Withdrawal pressed ahead with a power-grab in Bill to protect the Scottish direct opposition to Scotland’s Parliament from a power grab as democratically elected Parliament.” the UK leaves the EU. This is the Standing Order that Ian Following the votes, SNP MPs raised Blackford was requesting to be Points of Order with the Speaker enabled and to which the speaker over proceedings. refused to implement. NEWSLETTER | Issue 8 4 Independence can help us achieve our ambitions for Scotland By Nicola Sturgeon MP (First 346,000 and now stands at 2.63 with our values and priorities as Minister), 29/05/18 million, full-time real wages have a nation. grown by almost 17 per cent compared to just 12 per cent in It was also asked to make the UK as a whole, and there are recommendations on the now a record number of different currency options that registered businesses in would be available to an Scotland. independent Scotland. However, while devolution has undoubtedly made a positive After extensive consultation and In the years since devolution, difference in and to people’s a detailed comparison with other Scotland has cemented its lives, the fact remains that countries, the report concludes reputation as a world leader economies of similar sized that Scotland does indeed have across a range of industries and nations in Europe and elsewhere all the features of the world’s tended to perform even better public policies. most successful advanced than ours. Scotland is a trailblazer in economies – whether we are financial services, tech, medicine And when you consider that talking about our highly- and life sciences, renewable Scotland is blessed with human educated workforce, natural and natural resources that most energy and – although not many resources or strengths in both people know this – Glasgow is a of these countries could only traditional and new industries. key player in the space industry dream of, the questions of why this is the case and what we do as Europe’s number one The question is how we can manufacturer of satellites. about it becomes even more pertinent. match those other nations – In less than 20 years, the Scottish creating more jobs and raising Parliament has achieved good Last week saw the publication of living standards, and providing a and important progress in a a major report by the Sustainable better future for everyone who range of areas – from public Growth Commission – which I lives here. health measures such as the established help answer these smoking ban and minimum unit important questions. The Growth Commission is right pricing to establishing the that in order to raise our toughest climate change targets With a membership that performance we must target in the world, and generating included senior figures from record amounts of clean, green increases in our population and business, economics, politics and energy to help meet those ensure that everyone in our ambitious targets. academia, its task was to look society is able to participate fully both at how we grow the in the economy. We must also For a country of only 5 million economy now and in the future people, there is no doubt drive forward improvements in and how – if Scotland was to whatsoever that we make an our productivity. extraordinary contribution to the become independent – we could world. manage the financial position The Scottish Government is inherited from the UK working hard to achieve that Since the Scottish Parliament government without damaging with the powers of devolution – was established, our economy but as well as offering new ideas has also seen good progress. austerity and in a way that aligns Employment has risen by for what we can do now, this NEWSLETTER | Issue 8 5 report sets out how much more people and ending our ties with So, even though we might not all could be achieved with the the EU.