UK Government in Chaos

'CHAOS seems the only accurate description of Theresa May’s Government as incompetence is piled upon a policy vacuum at the heart of her Government.

Regardless of how people voted at the recent EU Referendum, no one voted for a Government, nor a Labour opposition, that remain deeply divided on what to do months after the vote.

The recent court case merely exposed the failure of the UK Government to understand its own constitutional position and the role of parliament. It has added chaos upon chaos, and unnecessarily.

This chaos is having real effects already on individuals and communities. In recent days I have been informed of redundancies taking place in our own communities partly as a result of the collapse in the value of the Pound Sterling. Indeed, as a series of economic data recently made clear, in October Sterling was the worst performing currency in the world with a level of devaluation that would have caused the collapse of a government in times past. We already face rising fuel costs and rising costs of imported goods.

It is in no one’s interest that this chaos continues. The Scottish Government has already indicated what we need to secure economically post referendum, and before the end of December will be laying down a detailed proposal into how Scotland’s economy can be protected as the UK moves towards exiting the EU. Along with many other colleagues, I am assisting in developing this strategy for Scotland, at a time when the UK Government is completely devoid of one.

Criminal Finances

Since my last column I have been busy in Parliament exposing the extent of international criminality being enabled to use a range of UK financial products to launder money and avoid detection. I have now been placed on the Parliamentary committee to review in detail how to tackle criminal finances and have been the first person to put down amendments to current laws to prevent abuse. We are not talking here of small scale crime. We are talking of many billions of pounds flowing illegally, but with ease, through our financial system. The City of London is now widely recognised as the largest centre for criminal funds in the world.

Debate on Chilcot Report

Coming up soon in Parliament, I have been selected by The Speaker to lead a short debate looking at how the Chilcot Report into the Iraq war was undertaken. It will be an opportunity to raise some deep concerns many of us have about the whole process.

Remembrance Sunday

Once again, on my constituents’ behalf, I will be laying wreaths at three Remembrance Sunday events. Like most people now alive I am too young to have known the world wars first hand, but we all share in the legacy and the freedoms won at such great cost. I hope on Sunday you will spare a thought for those who sacrificed their lives for us'.