Your Scotland, Your Referendum
On Burns’ Nicht, the Scottish Government launched their consultation on an Indepedence Referendum – which will be the most important question for the people in Scotland for over 300 years.
The consultation is mainly online, and you can take part here. Alternatively, we have copies available in reception, or we can mail them out to you, let us know if you have any difficulties!
NEW MEMBERS BOOST DUNDEE SNP AS PARTY MEMBERSHIP SOARS
The unprecedented surge in membership of the Scottish National Party following Tory leader David Cameron’s intervention in the debate on Scotland’s future has been replicated locally with new members signing up in Dundee.
Party chiefs have confirmed that over 1,100 new members had joined the SNP across Scotland boosting party membership by over 5% in just a few days.
Over the past two weeks, since the Prime Minister’s intervention, new members have been joining the SNP at a rate of one new member every nine minutes.
Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie has welcomed the huge support from the public that the SNP has received in the last couple of weeks.
“The numbers of people going online to sign up to the SNP is simply phenomenal, one new member every nine minutes.
“David Cameron should reflect on the fact that the SNP has gained in excess of 1,000 more activists just days after his blundering intervention into Scottish politics.
“Nobody cares more about Scotland’s success than the people who live here. That’s why they’ve responded in such huge numbers as they believe the decisions over our country’s future should be taken by people in Scotland.”
“ The SNP set a target of doubling party membership by the time of the referendum and we are well on our way and I’m delighted that Dundee’s branches and Constituency Associations are seeing part of that national upsurge.
“We welcome anyone who wants to see the best for Scotland and who wants to play their part in taking Scotland forward.”
Report Shows Dundee Has Forward Momentum Say Local Politicians
Commenting in the wake of a new report by think-tank Centre for Cities, Dundee’s senior politicians have claimed that the city has ‘forward momentum’ which will help drive the city’s recovery.
Stewart Hosie, MP for Dundee East and SNP Treasury Spokesman said: “There is no doubt that the momentum of the V&A museum project going ahead on schedule has led investment into the local economy and created a ‘feel-good’ factor in other sectors – in our property market, to take one example.
“Dundee, with Angus and North-East Fife, is bucking the trend on property prices and that is helping investors to decide on new projects, such as Malmaison’s long-term lease on the former Tay Hotel.
“The city is also experiencing an expanding population which is highly-beneficial in encouraging commercial expansion and private investment leading to jobs.
“The Scottish Government recognises the huge potential which Dundee has and through its agencies has delivered support to new projects and investment in protecting existing jobs such as at Michelin where 860 jobs were safeguarded and 140 new jobs are being created.
“Dundee City Council is punching above its weight by supporting house-building and construction of new schools. This is precisely what you need to do to encourage growth during recession – and Dundee is well-placed to make big strides forward when the UK economy recovers.”
Dundee City West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said: “Unemployment and particularly youth unemployment rates are too high and the Scottish Government has recognised this by appointing a dedicated Minister for Youth Employment and investing an extra £30 million in helping Scotland’s young people into training, work or education to secure a stronger workforce of the future.
“The Finance Secretary and Education Secretary will discuss with local authorities, the voluntary sector, colleges and private sector employers the best way to make this additional investment work to reduce youth unemployment.
“This underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to doing more to tackle the problem of youth unemployment and the government’s pledge to ensure that every 16-24 will have a place in training, education or a job.
“However, the Cities report has many positives. Dundee has the 10th highest level of skilled workers of any UK city.
“We also have the unique advantage of having two world-class universities with highly-qualified graduates, some of whom find jobs in the spin-off commercial opportunities offered by our strong Life Sciences and Computer Games sectors.
“Recent new jobs announcements by a number of major companies including Tesco, M&S and Malmaison and recent investments in the city show that we are building a synergy based on the city’s strong regeneration.
“The city is poised for a jobs bonanza as a hub for offshore turbine manufacture which will bring hundreds of new green jobs.”
New Rail Station Plans ‘In Hand’
Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie today welcomed ongoing discussions taking place between Dundee City Council, Network Rail and Transport Scotland to upgrade Dundee Rail station as part of the wider Waterfront project.
Stewart Hosie said: “I am aware that plans are well in hand to upgrade Dundee Railway Station in time for the arrival of the V&A Museum in Dundee as part of the wider Waterfront project and that discussions between Dundee City Council, Network Rail and Transport Scotland are ongoing and positive.
“With the imminent arrival of the new Victoria & Albert museum we need to improve Dundee’s transport links to the rest of Scotland and beyond, as well as continue to tackle congestion and reduce carbon emissions by promoting public transport.
“I understand these discussions will lead to funding of a new Rail Station Concourse at the heart of Dundee Waterfront which will be completed in time for the opening of the V&A at Dundee in 2015.”
“The Scottish Government Minister for Housing and Transport, Keith Brown MSP also announced £2 million investment for station improvements and a bus/rail hub during a meeting in the city in early December.
“More train services have recently been provided and we are working to ensure that proposals, for example, for a Tayside Estuary Rail Service will lead to much improved service levels in Dundee which should further help to encourage more people to use the train.
“I re-iterate the call from Dundee’s constituency MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Shona Robison that train users and the public in Dundee and Tayside take part in the ongoing consultation being held by Transport Scotland’s Rail2104 Consultation on the future of rail services in Scotland via the Transport Scotland website before 20th February.”
SNP Council Team Moving Dundee Forward in 2012
Elections to Scotland’s local authorities take place in May this year. Since 2007, SNP candidates have been elected in 20 of the 47 local by-elections, more than for any other party and in the last 12 months the SNP has won nine local authority by-elections. In contrast Labour have won only three with the Lib Dems on one seat. The Tories have secured only one by-election win in the last four years.
Since 2007, the SNP has moved into the leadership of Dundee and Stirling Councils and become the lead partner in the administration of Aberdeen City Council. Today, after a no-confidence vote in the Labour administration on Clackmannanshire Council, the SNP have taken on the leadership there too.
Last week, all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities confirmed in principle that they would accept the Scottish Government’s funding settlement – which will keep council tax frozen, protect teacher numbers, and maintain the 1,000 additional police officers delivered by the SNP Government.
In Dundee, the SNP team of Councillors and Council Candidates has been working to ensure that the party makes gains to retain control of Dundee City Council and safeguard the service improvements made since taking power in March 2009.
Commenting, SNP Councillor Stewart Hunter, who represents Strathmartine Ward on Dundee City Council and is the Council’s Deputy Education Convenor, said: “The SNP goes into the Local Council elections in May with a strong record and growing support across the city.
“Dundee City Council is working hard to keep the city’s regeneration on track and bring hundreds of new green jobs. What we are trying to achieve is no less that the re-industrialisation of Dundee.
“All 32 of Scotland’s local authorities have confirmed acceptance of the SNP Government’s funding settlement – which will keep the council tax frozen and protect teacher numbers and the 1,000 additional police officers delivered by the SNP, despite the biggest ever cut in funding from the UK Government. It is this record of delivery which SNP candidates will stand on in May.
“The SNP has a strong track record of easing the burden on local people with our council tax freeze, constructing new schools, a new leisure centre and new council houses and expanding access to free school meals.
“The choice for Dundee’s voters will be to move forwards with an SNP-led Council which is working hard with the SNP Scottish Government and key partners to deliver better services or to go backwards to the bad old days of Labour-Tory coalitions which hiked the Council tax every year and had no vision, no enthusiasm or new ideas.
“The SNP are moving Dundee forward.”
PM’s JOB PLAN ISN’T WORKING: TIME FOR PLAN B – SNP CALL FOR SUMMIT
Following on from an admission on tonight’s ITN News by the Prime Minister
that the UK Government’s plan to create jobs isn’t working but maintains
he will continue with the approach, SNP Treasury Spokesperson, Stewart
Hosie MP said:
“It has been clear for many months that the Coalition’s plan isn’t
working. With this admission, we must also see a change of course from the
Coalition Government.
“The Scottish Government are currently using all the levers available to
stimulate growth and boost jobs with ‘Plan MacB’ which is increasing
infrastructure spending and switching resources from revenue to capital in
order to deliver new schools, hospitals, houses, roads, water
infrastructure, and improved availability of high speed broadband across
Scotland.
“This plan is working. For the past 13 consecutive months, the employment
rate in Scotland has been higher than that across the UK as a whole. The
UK Government must follow this example.
“The SNP is calling for a jobs summit, bringing together ministers from
the devolved administrations and UK Government to devise a further package
of measures which work in getting people back to work.”
Seasonal Greeting
MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR
to all our constituents
ALL THE BEST FOR 2012
from Shona Robison MSP, Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Stewart Hosie MP
and all at Dundee SNP
The SNP Office is open Wednesday 28th – Friday 30 December and will re-open on
Wednesday 4th Jan.
Dundee’s SNP Politicians Look Back at the Highlights of 2011:
Dundee has a strong SNP team; an SNP controlled Council whose 14 SNP councillors across the city work alongside the two constituency MSPs at Holyrood, Shona Robison and Joe FitzPatrick and Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie at Westminster to deliver for the city. They are supported by a rapidly increasing SNP membership and branch structure throughout every area of the city. SNP membership is on the rise and Dundee is moving forward. 2011 has been an important year for Dundee and here the politicians consider the highlights:
Stewart Hosie MP (Dundee East)
“Apart from the astonishing election victory of the SNP in May, good news during 2011 included the announcement of significant investment to secure the long-term future of 860 jobs at Michelin in Dundee and the announcement of an extra 140 jobs, the announcement of the winning design of the new V&A Dundee building and the Scottish Government’s prompt delivery of funding to allow the construction phase to go ahead a year earlier than planned.
“The recent signing of an agreement with SSE will result in Dundee Port becoming an established centre for manufacture of offshore wind turbines and bring hundreds of green jobs to the city. Crime in Scotland reached a 35 year low and Dundee’s and Scotland’s educational statistics continue to improve. On a personal level I have been appointed onto the Treasury Select Committee at Westminster and am therefore able to intervene directly on key issues and speak up for Scotland. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my constituents.”
Shona Robison MSP (Dundee City East)
“2011 was a tough year with sweeping cuts to the Scottish budget from the UK Coalition Government which we are having to deal with. The momentous result of the Scottish election in May with the historic election of a majority SNP Government is leading to a rise in confidence in Scotland and more people are starting to believe that we can take steps to make our country better, create jobs – particularly in the renewable energy sector – and emerge from the recession. Our first priority is tackling unemployment and creating jobs.
“I was delighted to be appointed Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport and pleased to see the first benefits of Scotland hosting the Games in 2014 starting to come onstream.
“2011 is also the year in which it became certain that a Referendum on Scotland’s future would be held within the next three years. Independence is by no means guaranteed but we will work very hard over the next three years to convince everyone that it is the only way – and the best way – forward for Scotland. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my constituents.”
Joe FitzPatrick MSP Dundee City West)
“On a personal level, I have been delighted to return to Holyrood with an increased majority and to be appointed Convenor of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee which has an important role in development and expanding the economy across Scotland. I’m pleased that I have been able to work with others and set-up a Cross Party Group on Computer Games. This will help the sector – which is so important to Dundee – to develop and promote itself.
“The SNP team in Dundee is working strongly to promote our city. Working with Shona at Holyrood and Stewart at Westminster alongside an SNP Council in Dundee, we have been able to support ongoing redevelopment at the Waterfront including a new Leisure & Swimming centre, the building of new schools in the city and of course the V&A Museum which will be the icon of our city’s regeneration into the future. We have high aspirations and ambitions for Dundee and Scotland. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my constituents.”
Your Name Here?
Together – with your continued help – we can move Scotland forward to a better future. You can play your part. Why not make joining the SNP a New Year Resolution and help to create a better more prosperous and fairer Dundee and Scotland. Phone 903210 or email: contact@dundeesnp.org
Launch of MSPs & MP’s Official Charity Christmas Card
A photocall was held in ASDA Kirkton today to launch the official joint Christmas card for local MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Shona Robison and MP Stewart Hosie and the picture shows Shona and Joe with George Cant, Director of Fairprint (front row, second from left) and Mary Robertson, Community Oficer for ASDA and ASDA store Manager Martin Green with members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul – which is the charity benefitting this year.
Shon explained: “As in previou years our joint card is designed by the winner of a competition and due to a three-way tie up with sponsors ASDA and Fairprint, it leads to a total donation of £450 to the charitable work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul which supports people with learning disability amongst other projects.
“We are delighted to be able to organise our official Christmas Cards in such a way that we can reward local artistic talent and benefit local charities at the same time.
Politicians Hand Over Cheque to Competition-winning Student
Stewart, Shona, Paul, Joe and Dean with Paul's winning image
Paul Cooper, a BA Design and Creativity student at Dundee College, was today named as the winner of a competition for an image to be used on the official joint Christmas card of three Dundee politicians.
The competition brief was to create a design or image that could be printed on a Christmas card to reflect ‘Dundee’s bright renewable future.’
Paul (24) from Blairgowrie received a cheque for £250 at a small ceremony at the Gardyne Campus today when MSPs Shona Robison, Joe FitzPatrick and Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie today congratulated him and handed over the cheque.
Paul who is studying visual communications and graphics and web design, said: “I am pleased to have won this competition and that my image was liked by the three politicians. It’s nice to know that it will be seen by many people including the First Minister and hundreds of others when it gets sent out on the Christmas card.”
Shona Robison said: “I was delighted to meet Paul and to congratulate him on his stunning and vibrant image. It was the unanimous winner for all three of us and we liked the local skyline and particularly the energy and movement in the image.”
Joe FitzPatrick said: “It is an attractive image portraying the city’s skyline and with the Michelin wind turbines in the foreground alludes to recent massive investment in the city.”
Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie added: “We will be sending out the image on the front of our official Christmas card this year and as the competition is part of a three-way tie up with sponsors ASDA and Fairprint we hope it will lead to a total donation of around £400 to the charitable work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul which supports people with learning disability.
“We are delighted to be able to organise our official Christmas Cards in such a way that we can reward local talent and contribute to a very worthy charity.”
Also in attendance was Paul’s tutor, Dean Robertson, Programme Leader of the BA Design & Creativity degree course, who ran the competition among the students
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