Week Beginning Monday 20th November
2006
Well, here I sit at
midnight on St. Andrew's Day, 30th November thinking back ten days
and how quickly it has passed. I got home at 11.00 pm tonight,
earliest since Sunday 19th, so please forgive my lateness with my
MSP diary. It's been good though.
A favourite part of
the job last Monday, calling in at Sandford Primary School to be
grilled by primaries 6 and 7: they're doing a project on the
Parliament and boy-oh-boy do they know their stuff. In two hours I
only managed to catch them out on one thing - why is there only
129 msps but 131 seats in the Chamber? Hardly anyone knows the
answer to that one, and I'm not saying until next week!
From Sandford to
East Kilbride and meeting with constituents who want to talk about
the future of local government in South Lanarkshire and how it is
likely to change when the new voting system allows proportional
representation. You know, folk in East Kilbride feel very put upon
by SLC and see their town being run down, their green space being
sold off to the highest bidder, with no benefit to locals and
their families because the houses being built are way out of the
reach of the first-time-buyer and most working people. Real
frustration - how about independence from South Lanarkshire
Council for East Kilbride?
Drove through to
Edinburgh on Monday night, hoping to attend a special film
screening of La Dolce Vita, to open the Italian Film Festival.
But, it was not to be - fate was conspiring against Morag and I
having a leisurely evening; traffic jams, road works and sadly, an
accident, meant that it took over 2 hours to get there. So, no
buffet and film-show, just a banana and email!
Busy day on
Tuesday, starting with the Standards Committee in the morning (I
really don't enjoy that committee you know, but someone has to do
it - the company's fine, it's just the content), a presentation
from Executive staff at lunchtime on "Scotland's International
Image" (interesting) and the Europe and External Relations
Committee (interesting as ever, but then I'm biased) in the
afternoon. Back to Lanarkshire at night for the Annual General
Meeting of the West Lanarkshire Girl Guides. As always, a real fun
occasion, but very special this time because one of the members
was awarded the 'Silver Fish' - the highest accolade that can be
given to a Guider. I understand that there are only six recipients
in Scotland, so well done to Morna Ferguson - what dedication she
has shown over the years, not just to the guides in her own pack
but to guiding worldwide, and Africa in particular. The pride that
all of the girls and women had in Morna's achievement was palpable
- I was shedding a wee tear myself! The food's always good at the
West Lanarkshire Guides AGM too - great cakes.
Morna in the Middle
(the man with the Chain's the Provost - awfy nice chap)
Big treat on
Wednesday morning when Michael Docherty from St. Brides/St.
Andrews School in East Kilbride came to join Calum and I for two
days work-experience. Calum and I thoroughly enjoyed having him
around - in fact, Calum better watch out, this lad was really good
at answering the phone and doing spreadsheets. I think Michael
enjoyed his experience too, but better he tells you than I - see
his own diary below the picture of Michael sitting at the First
Minister's Desk in the Chamber:
and Michael's Blog
The Scottish
Parliament
Wednesday 22nd
November 2006
Thursday 23rd
November 2006
Report for Linda
Fabiani
I would proudly like
to take the opportunity to thank Linda and Calum for letting me do
my 4th year Work Experience in the Scottish Parliament.
When I had arrived at
the Scottish Parliament, I was a bit nervous when going through
the security, but after it I was relived when I did not beep. So
after going through security I had to go to the reception desks,
and I told them that I was doing my Work Experience with Linda
Fabiani, they called up and they told me to wait over at the
seats.
When I was waiting for
Calum to come and collected me from the public entrance, I was
starting to fell very nervous, but still full of anticipation. It
was soon time when Calum came and collected me from the Public
Entrance, we then had to head back to the desk, for Calum to send
me in.
After being signed in
we headed up to Linda’s desk, and we were talking about the
Parliament, and I was telling him that I had been here before to
meet Margaret Mitchell (Conservative).
When I walked in her
office, I was greeted very warmly, so after five minutes, she
asked me if I would help Calum to write brief notes for her
conference on “Aids in Africa”, this was interesting but a bit sad
with the accounts of deaths of babies. Afterwards we then went on
to writing her questions to ask the Scottish Executive. I had also
helped her with highlighting her constituency contacts for her
Christmas Card List.
Linda and myself went
to a meeting with the Euro Clerks in her office, that to me was
quite interesting and I learned all about what Linda and the Euro
Clerks was saying thanks to Linda’s notes.
The next day I phoned
Jack McConnell’s Parliamentary assistant to arrange a meeting with
Jack McConnell. Back at the office I helped sort out documents
into certain categories. So I did that then I told her about the
meeting with Jack McConnell. So she asked Calum and I to go and
meet he Reps from the Slovak Academy of Science, so we gave them a
tour around the parliament and I also talked to them about the
MSPs in the Parliament and the Constituency after this Linda asked
Calum to make sure that I was at the Debating Chamber on time. I
was starting to fell nervous but every thing was alright, and I
was pleased to meet the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament.
So I got my photo taking with Jack McConnell, but only after Linda
quickly sorted the tail of Jack’s Jacket. But after I got my photo
taken with the First Minister I was proud of myself.
We headed for Lunch I
had met some members of various parties including Labour,
Conservatives etc… after lunch we had decided to go back to work
in the office where I taking the role of Assistant because Calum
had to go and help another MSP. This included helping her with her
mail and answering the phone which I enjoyed, because I got used
to saying “Hello Michael Docherty, Linda Fabiani MSPs office”. I
also kept getting my photographs with Linda and other MSPs of the
SNP.
Finally it was time to
go and meet my dad at the Public Entrance, for a tour of the
Parliament building. My dad and I like the art and the
architecture of the Parliament building but the room that I was
more fascinated with was the Debating Chamber, so I got my photo
taken in the First minister’s chair and in the committee room.
I was very pleased and
grateful with the whole experience, I would say that I learned a
lot about the daily work of an MSP in the Scottish Parliament and
also how hectic a politicians work is from answering the phone to
sorting the mail. I was also pleased when she said that I could
come back to the Scottish Parliament to work their a bit longer
some time in the future.
I have enjoyed my 2
day Work Experience and would happily recommend it to many other
people that I know, because it was truly a spectacular 2 days and
I loved it, so thanks Linda and Calum for making it happen.
The only thing that
Michael wasn't able to come with me to was the working dinner on
Wednesday evening, run by Psoriasis Scotland - a gathering of
politicians, sufferers and doctors. I learned so much more that I
knew about this condition which can be so debilitating in its
serious forms. Sufferers and doctors wish the condition to be
classified as 'chronic' so that benefits relating to prescription
charges etc. can be accessed. There is of course a whole debate
going on at the moment about the re-classification of 'chronic
illness', and I'm following it with interest.
Busy Thursday for
Michael and I - meeting with representatives from the Slovak
Academy of Sciences (Slovakia - another small European independent
country which is doing rather well - amazing isn't it how so many
people are intent on telling Scotland we can't do it?). Michael
and Calum showed the professors around the Parliament building
while I ran in to see Kilmaurs Primary School for a question-time
event. Wee souls were exhausted - they'd left their school at 7 am
- still, didn't stop them talking! After Michael and Michael
Senior left on Thursday I spent a couple of hours catching up on
constituency cases - writing letters to Ministers, phoning for
more information, sending mad emails to Davie and piling the work
onto him (delegating it's called). Poor Davie and Calum - they
must have felt their hearts sink when they opened their email
boxes on Friday morning.
Friday morning and
I was in Glasgow speaking at the Royal Environmental Health in
Scotland Society. They were interested in the workings of the
European Committee. A smashing audience and we had a really good
discussion afterwards. I was fascinated by the work they're doing
in Malawi in conjunction with Strathclyde University, to establish
a Centre for Water, Sanitation and Health. Also on Friday I
visited Concern Worldwide to hear about the work they're doing in
Malawi (Friday was a bit of a Malawi day). That work is
particularly in relation to combating malnutrition - of the
2,319,000 children in Malawi under the age of 5, 48% have stunted
growth and 22% are underweight. The months between November and
April are the "hunger season" in Malawi and, for example, in the
Machinga District last December cases of moderate acute
malnutrition among the under-fives reached over 10%. Concern
establishes small centres, staffed by local people, within
communities and whilst they ensure a nutritional food compound for
babies and young children they also recognise that it is not just
about food, it's about increasing the capacity of these
communities to recognise and manage malnutrition and to take steps
to avoid it. I was really impressed by their work.
Before I headed off
the Blantyre - St. Joseph's Church's St. Andrew's Night Fling - I
called in at Caledonian University to help some journalism
students with their media project, and was filmed being
interviewed about Scotland's role in Europe. It was interesting
that Paul, one of the students, had done a placement at the EK
News, my local paper - East Kilbride seems to have a lot of
journalism students; I often get calls and emails from them.
Well back to
Blantyre - Lanarkshire that is, but a bit of Malawi again
too because St. Joseph's fundraiser was for Malawi, home of their
namesake town. Mary's Meals was the recipient of St. Joseph's
generosity - as Father O'Farrell said the amount raised will
feed over 200 children for a year. The Mary's Meals charity
provides lunch for children at school - so encourages education.
It's not just about handouts though - again the projects are run
by local volunteers and promote community common-good.
Well done St. Joseph's -
and it was great fun raising it too
Campaigning on
Saturday - won't be long now until our election. We got a great
feedback from folk we spoke with in East Kilbride, although maybe
they just had sympathy for our little band braving the wind and
rain in St. Leonards!
EK SNP's own St.
Andrew's Ceilidh on Saturday night - hooching and chooching into
the wee small hours - great. And Sunday night just rounded off the
week for me; Paul Buchanan, ex-Blue Nile in Concert. First tour
for ten years! I couldn't believe it had been so long since I sat
entranced the last time. Wonderful stuff - the talent this wee
country produces is amazing, we should all recognise it more
often. I've been singing ever since.
So, HAPPY
ST. ANDREW'S DAY
