Local economy: economic regeneration, unemployment, stemming depopulation
Donald John has proposed the creation of a ‘Western Isles Development Agency’ to revitalise and diversify the island economy while reversing population decline and attracting young people and families back to the islands.
To make it work, Donald John is proposing a complete break with the way in which MP’s have related (or not related) to the main service agencies in the Western Isles. An early Development Summit, held shortly after the General Election, will bring together Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, NHS Western Isles, Hebridean Housing Partnership, Community Councils, Third Sector organisations, the Western Isles Chamber of Commerce, the private sector and young people.
From this summit, a comprehensive Western Isles Development Plan, based around the following areas, will be developed and agreed. The agreed Action Plan will become Donald John’s responsibility, as MP, to progress, coordinate and facilitate with an annual review to measure progress against key targets.
In this, Donald John is setting himself a tough task but the prize of reversing the islands’ economic decline will be well worth the effort. Joint working between the MP and all local agencies will be key to the delivery of this Plan.
Donald John’s priorities in proposing this process are clear – the advance of community ownership, the harnessing of renewable energy for the direct benefit of local communities, the development of the economy and growth in the visitor economy.
Far from being pessimistic about the islands’ prospects, Donald John feels that the information technology, good transport links, an abundant renewable energy resource and a world beating environment give the islands a significant competitive advantage in the struggle to climb out of the global recession. If the right decisions are taken now, with consensus between all agencies, the future for these islands is bright.
Traditional industries
Fishing
Donald John has recently been active in the area of prawn quotas. When EU scientists
proposed the slashing of the Scottish prawn quota by 50%, Donald John immediately
contacted the office of UK Fisheries Minister, Huw Irranca Davis. Donald John pointed
out to the Minister that reduced landings in the islands would have a severe knock-
In addition, Donald John was delighted when the islands' prawn trawl fishery was awarded Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, which further shows that the local fishery is sustainable and responsible. In terms of wider fishing issues, Donald John has steadfastly supported the Comhairle’s Fisheries Loan Scheme, Quota Purchase proposals and work to provide fuel at fishery piers.
Harris Tweed
With many friends and relations in the Harris Tweed industry, Donald John is very concerned about the welfare of weavers. Harris Tweed is one of the premium exports of the islands and the way in which the industry has been run down in recent years is shameful. Donald John remembers when hundreds of weavers and mills in Stornoway and Shawbost were working flat out, turning out thousands of yards of high quality tweed in a wide range of designs to an appreciative international market. This brought a significant return to the island economy sustaining entire families and communities.
Donald John took a leading role in Comhairle nan Eilean’s recent plan to introduce
a Harris Tweed Investment Fund. This innovative Fund will support the production
of a fixed volume of the most popular tweed patterns over the traditional off-
Crofting
While an Elected Member of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Donald John called for a ‘Future of Crofting’ Conference to be held in Stornoway early in 2010. 120 delegates from the Crofting Counties listened to a keynote speech from Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for the Environment, before discussing a range of issues relative to the vitality of Crofting. At the Conference, Donald John stated that the 1886 Crofting Act had worked in its day and, to a lesser extent, the 1955 Act.
However, the SNP administration’s latest Crofting Bill is set to let crofters down – a good Bill for lawyers but not for crofters. The new Crofting Register introduced by the Bill will be an added financial burden for Crofters while the relentless pursuance of ‘absentee’ Crofters will lead to another wave of Highland Clearances, destroying the link between land, language and culture. Crofting needs more investment, not more regulation and Donald John will lobby hard for the interests of 21st Century Crofters.
Support for new & rural business
The SNP orchestrated demise of Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s support for small businesses in favour of investment in ‘transformational’ projects has left small and medium sized businesses struggling for survival. Donald John is convinced that the public / private balance in the Western Isles economy has to change. At present, almost 60% of the workforce is employed by the public sector and the private sector is correspondingly suppressed. Donald John wants to see a resurgence of the private sector in islands where the entrepreneurial spirit has always been strong. These islands are bursting with creative ideas and he will work with small and medium businesses to help them secure the support they need to survive, grow their product and employ more people.
Iain Gray MSP, Scottish Labour Leader, has announced that Labour will be developing an industrial strategy with the objective of achieving social justice through sustainable economic development. This will mean new jobs in the green economy as well as in the manufacturing and service sector.
Donald John was one of those calling for a local summit of the construction industry to combat the worst conditions of the recent global recession. Through the efforts of Gordon Brown, Labour Prime Minister, the worst effects of this recession were contained but Donald John is still mindful of the impact on the local building trade. He has pushed within the Comhairle for major work packages to be released in phases to allow local contractors to bid for the work. This is a radical departure from the historic approach of releasing major contracts as one work package, allowing only large mainland firms to bid for them.
Donald John will work with the ‘Greenspace’ and ‘Hebridean Energy Futures’ team at Lews Castle College to attract high end renewable energy research jobs back to the islands. The opening up of the marine energy sector, West of Hebrides, which Donald John has wholeheartedly supported, will mean more jobs for climatologists, marine scientists, data analysts, energy engineers and so on and, for that reason, Donald John sees Lews Castle College playing a key role in his proposed Western Isles Development Agency.
In fabrication, Donald John is delighted that Arnish has been recognised as a leading Distributed Manufacture facility for the marine energy industry. He will work with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Burntisland Fabrications to bring hundreds of new jobs to Arnish.
In tourism, the ongoing weakness of the UK pound presents an unprecedented opportunity for the Western Isles to become a leading destination for UK domestic tourists. Donald John was a leading advocate of the Road Equivalent Tariff which has multiplied the number of visitors coming to the islands. The challenge now is to stretch the visitor season into the shoulder months and to maximise the cultural dimension of tourism. In the Northern Isles, 60% of tourists visit for the archaeology. In the Western Isles, the figure is 16% when, arguably, we have the better resource. Only an estimated 10% of the island archaeological resource has been discovered and, of that discovered resource, only 10% has been recorded. The islands are sitting on a huge archaeological gold mine and Donald John will work through the new Western Isles Development Agency to turn that resource into visitor numbers and impact for the local economy.
Housing
Having worked in the area of private housing grants for many years, Donald John is very aware of the capacity of these grants to provide a sustained and reliable workload for small, local construction firms. Donald John will work with Government colleagues to reverse the SNP’s determination to dismantle the private housing grants system.
The housing requirements of the Western Isles are determined by the unique land ownership framework which operates in these islands through the Crofting system. Donald John has intimate knowledge of this sector and some innovative ideas for its development, particularly in the area of Crofter housing. The islands have a relatively low proportion of ‘social’ housing because many of those who would use this service are accommodated in Crofter housing. This brings its own challenges in terms of investment in the housing stock.
The current SNP administration has dismantled the Crofting Building Grant and Loan Scheme, decimated the Local Government Repair Grant Scheme and starved the Housing Associations of investment. This has left over 50% of island residents in fuel poverty – the highest rate in Scotland.
As someone who has worked in the housing sector, Donald John will lobby for the reinstatement of the Crofter Building Grant and Loan Scheme, the revitalisation of the Local Government Repair Grant Scheme and the improved resourcing of Housing Associations. The best way to deal with the housing crisis is to build and improve more homes.
Local government
Donald John recognises the importance of the public sector to the island economy where it employs 60%+ of the workforce, as opposed to 30% in the Central Belt. Donald John recently resisted SNP efforts to thoughtlessly slash senior jobs within the Western Isles public sector. He is also concerned over the loss of very bright island graduates to the islands.
Sabbath observance
Donald John remains committed to the distinctive culture of the islands, shaped to a large extent by religious observance, and will continue to support sympathetic travel improvements which allow the islands to maintain a competitive advantage in areas where they beat the world such as scenic beauty and quality of life.
Are Sunday ferries a good thing?
While profoundly sympathetic to the deeply held religious beliefs of many islanders, Donald John stood by his own convictions in supporting seven day travel for the islands. Contrary to the forecasts of the naysayers, Sunday air and sea travel has come and has not disrupted the precious culture and traditions of these islands.
Windfarms Giant windfarms versus community energy developments
Renewable Energy has the potential to transform the economic fortunes of these islands but development must be controlled by local communities to ensure that the benefits stay local. As a founder member of Point & Sandwick Power, Donald John is ideally placed to lead on community ownership of renewable energy schemes. The 21 MW of onshore generation currently proposed by the six local Community Energy Companies, including 9MW by Point & Sandwick Power, will release a net income of £4m per annum to island communities.
Donald John will work with the Scottish Government, OFGEM, the Crown Estate and the Comhairle to create a Marine Energy Zone West of Hebrides which will generate 500MW of energy by 2020. However, Grid Connectivity is currently constraining these developments.
As the UK’s security of supply for domestic energy becomes fragile beyond 2015, Donald John will lobby OFGEM and the Westminster Minister for Energy to open up the seas off the Western Isles as a nationally significant powerhouse for renewable energy generation. OFGEM are required to authorise speculative investment in Grid upgrades (ahead of demand) if this resource is to be captured and, given the scale of economic benefit for the islands involved, Donald John will make this area a key priority.
He will challenge OFGEM on inequitable Transmission Charging which encourages energy developments close urban centres and charges double for energy generated in ‘remote’ locations and he will challenge the SNP administration who have refused to compensate developers for this anomaly through Renewable Obligation Certificate payments.
School closures in the Western Isles
The Western Isles have always had a good name for educational attainment. The last Labour Scottish Government provided funding for five new schools and the current SNP administration is part funding a sixth. In three years’ time, 60% of island pupils will be taught in a brand new, purpose built school and 40% will be taught in a completely refurbished school. These developments provide the perfect environment for the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence and the new schools ensure a breadth of syllabus that gives every child the opportunity to study what they wish to study.
Donald John will work with Education colleagues in the Scottish Government and the
Comhairle to build on these developments and to ensure that island pupils leave school
with high self-
Fuel prices
Despite an inquiry by the Office of Fair Trading into the abnormally, and persistently, high cost of fuel in the Western Isles, the matter has not been satisfactorily resolved. The cost of all fuel types remains high with a typical differential of 11p per litre between island and mainland prices for road fuel. This additional burden multiplies into the freight sector, adding cost and not value to goods purchased locally. Donald John wants to know why fuel from the same refinery, delivered by the same boat to rural ports just across the Minch is costing islanders 10% more.
Donald John has made the following commitment in regard to fuel prices, “If elected, I will certainly not sit by the sideline, waiting for something to happen. As part of the new Labour Government, I will pursue this issue and seek a more exhaustive and authoritative study by the Office of Fair Trading into this discriminatory anomaly. And I will push to ensure that the conclusions of this study are implemented.”
South Uist Rocket Range and defence jobs
Donald John acted as the crucial link between the government, the Comhairle and the Task Force by securing the support of the Scottish Secretary and the Defence Minister, to ensure the future of the base by giving it a more important role
The health service in the Western Isles
One of the Labour Parties greatest achievements was the creation of the National Health Service in 1948. The current chaos over healthcare in the USA further highlights the value of our universal service. The recent 60th anniversary of the National Health Service provided an opportunity to review the stunning achievements of the service and the principles underlying its success – care for others, fairness and wellbeing irrespective of individual means. These principles reflect the values of Hebridean life. Health care in the islands was transformed under the last Labour government with significant investment in new hospitals and innovative treatments. Labour cherishes the NHS and will continue to invest in its development. The Tories, on the other hand, would dismantle the NHS and disable it through savage cutbacks. These islands need a Labour MP working with a Labour government to safeguard our unique healthcare heritage.
Social Care: The Western Isles are justifiably proud of the quality of life inherent in the Hebridean experience and Donald John will support local agencies to maintain this quality of life for all. He is particularly interested in the use of creativity as a therapeutic tool in the area of Criminal Justice and, with extensive experience of young people in need, he will work to achieve a better deal for them. Donald John supports local solutions which provide an alternative for expensive mainland placements and will work with colleagues at all levels to ensure that restorative justice can be achieved in the island context. With an ageing population, effective home care is going to be a key challenge for agencies going forward. Donald John will work with the Government, the Comhairle and NHS Western Isles to map a way forward.
Broadband availability and price to users
Fast broadband access is absolutely vital to the success of the island economy. It is now as important as freight links, location or labour pool in the delivery of business from an island base. The rapid advances in IT provision made by the Labour Scottish Government, underpinned by Gordon Brown’s personal support for IT solutions, has given these islands a good competitive advantage in this area. Donald John applauds those islanders who hold down key jobs with UK financial institutions but deliver their work via IT platforms on a croft in the Western Isles.
Donald John welcomes the introduction of competition into the ‘Connected Communities’ project and will strive to ensure that every islander has access to high speed broadband regardless of their location. Donald John will work with Government health colleagues to increase the use of telemedicine to service remote locations, reducing the need for islanders to travel to the mainland for routine treatment.
Transport and the cost of travel
As Vice Chair of the Comhairle’s Transportation Committee, Donald John was one of the leading voices in the campaign for the introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) in the Western Isles. As expected, the RET pilot has been a resounding success with huge increases on travel flows observed.
The danger is that the SNP will now withdraw the RET scheme, leaving these islands to face an uncertain future, characterised by discriminatory travel costs. Donald John will lobby hard for the retention and mainstreaming of the RET concept.
Community life
Pensioners There are over 5,500 pensioner households in the Western Isles and financial support and care for this sector is absolutely critical to quality of life in the islands. This sector continues to expand and is of real concern to Donald John. Under Labour, the Pension Credits ‘safety net’ scheme has been raised by over one third. From £69 in 1997, it now stands at £132. The Winter Fuel Allowance and free TV licences for people over 75 were both Labour initiatives. The Winter Fuel Allowance of £250 (£400 for over 80’s) for each pensioner household brings over £1.5m into the island economy every year and will continue to rise under a Labour government. To further demonstrate its support for pensioners, Labour has raised the State Pension by 12% in real terms since 1997. Donald John will work with the Labour government to restore the link between the State Pension and average earnings, a link that was broken by the Tories. The fantasy economics of separation will not deliver the solid, reliable improvement in pensioner services proposed by Labour.
Young people
Through his leading involvement with the Foyer Project and the new Bridge Centre, Donald John is well aware of the challenges facing young people in the islands today. He will lobby at UK level for the best deal for young people in housing need or those involved in substance abuse. Donald John’s vision is for an island area where young people feel they are playing a critical role in decision making and he will consult them directly as part of his Western Isles Development Plan process. These islands contain some of the brightest young people in the UK and Donald John, along with government colleagues, will strive to offer these young people the best start in life, regardless of their location on the ‘periphery.’
Arts & Culture
With a lifelong involvement in the Arts at community level, Donald John is convinced of the benefits that creativity can bring to island life. While hard, infrastructure services such as transport are essential, it is creativity that adds the ‘feel good’ factor to island communities and makes them better places to grow up in, to live in, to work in or to move to. Creativity grows confidence. These islands are bursting with creative energy and vision and now is the time to widen our horizons and harness that energy for the good of all. As a Comhairle Member, Donald John supported investment in An Lanntair, Taigh Chearsabhagh, Ceolas and the Feisean movement and he will continue to push for continued support at Government level. Donald John will fight for the benefits of creativity to be recognised in Education, Health, Tourism, Criminal Justice and Community Development.
Local issues: Donald John Macsween, Scottish Labour