Wendy Alexander MSPPaisley North
"...her campaigning against education cuts is good news for parents!" - Rachael Ewing, Seedhill
" Press revelations about Tesco having a long relationship with Balmore who so neglected Linwood - should lead to earliest poss start date "Follow Me what is this?
The controversial decision to scrap the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (Garl) has cost the taxpayer £40 million.
In a Parliamentary Question Paisley North MSP Wendy Alexander asked Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson to provide a breakdown of how much the cancellation of GARL had cost the taxpayer and what was still due to be paid (note 3). The Minister’s answer showed that the figure had jumped from the previous estimate of around £25m to £40m. Read more »
Linwood
I was delighted to attend a most heartening 150th Anniversary celebration service of Linwood Parish Church.
Unsurprisingly over the following lunch, discussions turned to the continuing frustrations and disappointment over Tesco’s lack of progress on the town centre. Many Buddies will be aware that Tesco’s promises to Linwood over three years ago were not merely for a store but for a whole new town centre. Hence this delay has meant no sign so far of the promised new health centre, library, community halls, and supermarket – and significantly no news of a planned start date offered from Tesco as yet. Read more »
It was great to bring pupils and parents to the Parliament to directly challenge the First Minister, Alex Salmond and Education Secretary Secretary Mike Russell on Renfrewshire’s decision to cancel school buses. If the Scottish Government is serious it should get on the phone to their party leaders in Renfrewshire and promise to overturn the buses decision before schools close for summer next week.
Local MP Douglas Alexander and MSPs Hugh Henry and Wendy Alexander dropped in to visit the Renfrewshire Law Centre. Launched back in 1977, the Renfrewshire Law Centre is Scotland’s busiest Law Centre and is dedicated to promoting access to justice for Renfrewshire’s 170,000 residents.
The local politicians met with Principal Solicitor Jon Kiddie, who leads a six strong team of specialist lawyers that have built a reputation of generations of legal experience. Read more »
Crime focus
Crime, anti-social behaviour, the search for decent housing, and safer streets are the big issues at my surgeries. They often generate around ten times the complaints as the health service or education. So this week I and colleagues will meet Stephen House, the Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police.
Underage Drinking
I will be raising underage drinking. It is a local menace – often worse during the summer. Tougher licensing laws were introduced by the last Scottish Government. Read more »
As published in the Evening Times on 7th June 2010
By Stewart Paterson
Bosses are going back to the drawing board to improve transport links to Glasgow Airport – as it was revealed the cost of the planned rail link scheme being cancelled had risen to more than £40million.
Airport owner BAA is carrying out a Strategic Transport Network Study after the decision last year by Finance Secretary John Swinney to shelve the £170m project forced it to rip up its original Surface Access Strategy. Read more »
Controversial: decision to scrap Garl
As published in the Glasgow Herald 7 June 2010
by Journalists Brian Currie and Stewart Paterson
The controversial decision to scrap the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (Garl) has cost the taxpayer £40 million.
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has admitted that the bill for winding up the project has jumped from a previous estimate of around £25m. Read more »
Local Labour MSP’s Hugh Henry, Trish Godman and Wendy Alexander have said they are appalled at the SNP Government plans to cut almost 4,000 NHS jobs this year, including over 1,500 nurses. They are warning that it will have damaging impact on patient care across Renfrewshire and the rest of Scotland.
The campaigning politicians said that the SNP were forced into publishing the workforce planning projections after weeks of pressure from Scottish Labour, which resulted in a debate in the Scottish Parliament. Read more »
Paisley South Councillor Eddie Devine recently took Wendy on a tour around his ward – one group they stopped to visit was ‘Grow in Glenburn’ (GIG) who aim to turn part of the grounds in Glen Park into a Community Garden. The group’s enthusiasm to recover and develop the garden for the local community was a joy. They had spent time and effort clearing the site but legal red tape meant a locking up of the site and a stop to further progress until all matters are sorted out with Renfrewshire Council. Read more »
Many staff, patients and visitors at the RAH are deeply worried about plans to introduce car parking restrictions. Only certain staff will get permits to park. Visitors will face a four hour parking limit, with £40 fines in future for over staying.
The total mismanagement of this issue is hitting morale. The board has so far refused to publish its plans in full – which is both short sighted and counter productive.
The RAH is not a big urban hospital like the Western or the Royal Infirmary. Staff come from far and near and public transport alternatives are just not in place. Nor should visitors be charged up to £40 for staying over four hours – complex treatments can take more time. Read more »