Professor John Robertson OBA
Why does the new Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP, Elaine Stewart, already have the third-highest expenses claim [above] of any Scottish MP when the previous MP, Allan Dorans, had the third -lowest expenses claims of any Scottish MP, for the same job?
I was shocked to see these expenses claims by my new MP after hearing that our previous MP had the amongst the lowest claims, for the same job. Has she been travelling 1st Class, living in better hotels, eating in better restaurants, buying nice things, at our expense?
How many of her constituents might have used that excess to heat their homes or feed their children last winter after she voted to stop the winter fuel allowance and keep the two-child benefit cap?
These are the claims for just 5 July [General Election] 2024 to 31 March 2025. The SNP average was £36 763.
Details of Mr Dorans expenses, third lowest among Scottish MPs, were reported in the Cumnock Chronicle on 5 February 2023.
Cost-effectiveness?
In June 2024, Dorans wrote in the National:
During my time as an MP, from December 2019 and until the end of May, with my constituency team, I responded to requests for help and advice nearly 10,000 times.
It’s too early to judge Stewart but already I know of many locals waiting for responses. Perhaps she’ll publish her figures in July after one year in office.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
O/T apologies
BBC Website Wales headline:
“Anger as Oxford rail line classed as England and Wales project”
A railway line between Oxford and Cambridge has been classed as an England and Wales project.
The £6.6bn line will see no tracks laid in Wales.
The Lib Dem MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe has stated:
“That it was HS2 all over again”.
(Which , as a statement, is something that you will never hear either a Lib Dem MP or a Lib Dem MSP state as those who represent a Scottish constituency).
He , the Welsh Lib Dems MP, also said “Wales was “being denied hundreds of millions in funding that could transform our (Wales) own rail network”.
Apparently there was also a long-standing row over HS2 which was (also) deemed to be an England and Wales project , which meant that Wales gets no extra cash.
None of the track planned for HS2 will reach Wales…….indeed it seems it will only reach certain parts of England (not all England though).
HS2 is vastly over budget and also way way behind schedule , forget that though what about #ScottishFerries which then equates to #SNPBAD.
HS2 is also classified as UK government project and is referred to as a UK project.
In fact HS2 is framed by UK politicians at WM as a UK project , that they say , will also benefit Scotland too……and so taxpayers here in Scotland are also paying for it as well however just like Wales, none of the track planned for HS2 will reach Scotland.
I mean just how disunited (and grossly unfair) is this so called UK aka Great Britain in the preferential treatment given to England by UK governments via them, as a nation, being given an excessive amount of government projects and funding compared to how Wales & Scotland are treated by them, the UK government ( in fact they , the UK government, should really be referred to as the ‘so called UK government’).
There is a reason why the UK government sits in a parliament in the capital city of England, which then is referred to as being the ‘UK’ parliament………one day perhaps the penny will finally drop for both more Scots and also more Welsh people, though I really hope that will not be at the point when we have Nigel Farage as the PM of their UK.
Vote SNP always, or do not complain when (various) things are not the way you want them to be within Scotland, as we are governed by two governments in Scotland, not just the one who are based here in our capital city in Scotland.
(Also one of those governments are based in another country within the UK, and they have more powers and far more money than our Scottish government does – yet it is our Scottish government that gets all of the blame and anger directed at them by UK political parties and their media).
Let’s see what happens in the by-election in Scotland this week, if the SNP do not retain that seat then honestly we , Scotland, will be seen as the Mugs of the UK (as yes , we who support the SNP will also be dragged into that apt description as well).
Liz S
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https://f4.bcbits.com/img/0031071234_10.jpg
All aboard!
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My own ”hard working ” Labour MP is so hard-pressed that she hasn’t even replied to any of my emails since July . She was a former Union leader , so is probably used to ignoring the ”little people ” .
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I have contacted her on a number of occasions re WASPI, two child benefit cap and something else I can’t remember. She has responded but with the cut and paste directly provided by HQ.
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