Kevin supports new development in Montrose

In a statement issued today Kevin expressed his support for the bid by Sainsbury's to bring 200 new jobs to Montrose.

"I was pleased to attend the promotional and consultation meeting organised on behalf of Sainsbury's at the Old Church Hall Montrose. What particularly impressed me was the clear way in which information on the proposal to develop a new supermarket on the former distillery site on Brechin Road in Montrose was portrayed. It was also very pleasing to see the very strong interest that was being shown by local people in the exhibition."

"Clearly Sainsbury's have responded to local concerns about the need for more car parking spaces and the need to increase tree planting. It is also pleasing to see that provision has been made on the plans for car park spaces for Blue Badge holders who may be wheelchair users, and for wheelchair accessible toilets."

"One of the great pieces of news for the people of Montrose about this proposed development is that it could lead to up to two hundred full and part time jobs being developed for the benefit of local people. I was also interested to see that a policy existed of sourcing key food products such as Beef, Lamb and Pork locally. However the publicity did not specifically mention local Fish and Chicken, so I have asked Sainsbury's for further information on this matter, particularly given the excellent record of the North East in providing Fish from the North Sea."

"Given that this development will clearly not only be of direct benefit to the community but also help build the profits of a successful company I was also interested to seek out more information on how they plan to exercise their responsibilities to the wider community via their Community Social Responsibility policy. I have therefore asked for a copy of this, and will be interested to see how Sainsbury's plan to bring wider benefit to the people of Montrose and District."

"What particularly will be of interest to me will be their commitment to development and training of their workforce, particularly via Apprenticeship schemes which are a key commitment in the recently produced Election Manifesto of the Scottish Labour Party "Fighting for What Really Matters" with an apprenticeship place being offered to every suitably qualified young person. I have therefore asked for more information on their plans to use Apprenticeships, particularly in the priority areas of Food Science and Technology. It is my strong belief that by working on this important need Sainsbury's can be of great benefit to all of the constituency of Angus North and the Mearns. What will be of particular interest will be how they are planning to include People with disabilities in their employment and training plans."

 

"It is my hope that if elected as the Scottish Labour MSP for Angus North and the Mearns I can work alongside Sainsbury's and other local supermarkets and businesses to ensure the success of the Apprenticeship scheme and other training measures for all of the people of the constituency. Through such work a sustainable future can be secured for all of this beautiful area in which I am proud to live, and will be even prouder to represent if chosen by the local electorate."

Kevin welcomes Stonehaven Caravan Park moves

In a statement issued today Kevin welcomed the moves by Aberdeenshire Council to encourage the Caravan Club to take over the running of the Queen Elizabeth Caravan Park on the seafront at Stonehaven.

"Coincidentally this come at a time equally welcome has come in Forfar for the excellent caravan park there Here the Caravan Club have just announced its success in gaining a 20 year extension to its current 30 year lease on its beautifully placed Lochside Caravan Park and an investment of £1.25 Million to improve the facilities on the site. This will encourage more visitors to not only visit once but to visit again this popular site that is seen by many as the Gateway to the Angus Glens. It will also if combined with a takeover of the caravan park in Stonehaven help lead to more tourism opportunities for both of these towns. Having been told the benefits and success of the Forfar caravan park during the General Election campaign in Angus in 2010 I am well aware of the success of the Caravan Club in boosting tourism and feel much could be gained by a link being made to this excellent organisation in Stonehaven".

"Scottish Labour will seek to work with organisations such as the Caravan Club in promoting tourism throughout Scotland. At its recent launch of its Manifesto for business it resolved to give a stronger voice by making Visit Scotland the lead organisation to develop tourism. It also resolved task both Visit Scotland and Event Scotland to deliver a "See more of Scotland" campaign for visitors to big events such as the Commonwealth Games due to be held at Glasgow in 2014. Such a strategy should also be applied to events such as the Edinburgh Fringe and the New Year celebrations in Stonehaven".

New Ambassador role 

"In the case of Angus North and the Mearns many people may ask what the various parts of the constituency have in common. It is in common with many rural constituencies across Scotland vast and expansive in scope. It has great beauty and a rich history that surely deserves to be promoted. For example it has Celtic tradition, it has many Roman marching camps reaching throughout the area, it has the wildness of the Angus Glens and in more recent times it has the saving of Scotlands honours to its name. If elected as MSP I would see it as an important part of my role to use my position to give the fullest possible promotion to all of the constituency. From the tradition of the Forfar Bridie to its success in being the birthplace of key inventors such as Robert Watson Watt the inventor of Radar it has so much to offer".

"In terms of natural history it has both the Montrose Basin and Fowlsheugh of which it can be very proud ,and in the areas of creative writing it can boast being the birthplace of William Burness, the father of Robert Burns and also being where Lewis Grassic Gibbon the author of 'Sunset Song' spent his early years. If elected as MSP I would see it as being an important part of my role to be effectively an ambassador for the constituency, but also very importantly to hold Visit Scotland to account in promoting the area to the fullest ,and to work with local business and enterprise to encourage transport providers to develop new links on the tourist trail".

"Through pursuing sustainable tourism among both the home and overseas market there will be benefits for all of the economy of the beautiful constituency of Angus North and the Mearns".

Kevin responds to tax claim

Kevin issued a statement to the Montrose Review in reply to the claim by the Liberal Democrat Scottish parliamentary Candidate that 1560 people in Angus will not pay any income tax as a result of the budget.

"Many of these people were not paying income tax before April 6th in any case, but they, and many others, will find that their income is seriously eroded by the increase in VAT, a measure which the Liberal Democrats said they would not support before last years General Election. The average family will be worse off by £450 a year due to this tax rise. Not only will the VAT increase hit shoppers but will also affect many shops and local businesses who find their customers have less money to spend.

"People who are among the lowest paid in Angus will also find that their Housing Benefit is cut. A recent report from Angus Council showed that 2,181 people in Angus will lose an average of £463.39p a year and in Montrose 425 people will lose an average of £453.74p a year under the changes supported by the Liberal Democrats in the UK Government alongside their Tory partners.

"So far from benefiting the local economy the Liberal Democrats will have helped take money out of the pockets of many of the poorest people in society as well as every family in Angus North and Mearns and many local businesses."

Born to lead

In a statement produced ahead of the programme Born to Lead Kevin  expressed concern at the reports that visually impaired people might lose out unfairly in the planned cuts in public services.

"What particularly concerns me about many of the cuts that are planned or have taken place to date in Scotland is that they have not been adequately equality impact assesed. For example while the SNP Scottish Government produced an Equality Impact Assesment of their budget proposals they did not list the organisations representing the interests of people with disabilities they had consulted.

"It concerns me that because of this failure to adequately consult people with disabilities the cuts will hit even harder on groups that are seen as being in a minority in the population such as people who are blind. Thus it is not fully realised how such groups of people are being excluded from society by the cuts and in the process denied the opportunity to contribute to society and to the economy.

"Scottish Labour meanwhile has clearly championed the cause of traditionally excluded groups who are small in number. For example at its conference in Glasgow Johann Lamont, the Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party announced that companions of deaf blind people would qualify for free travel on public transport.

Kevin visiting the Guide Dog centre in Forfar

"For my part as a Scottish Parliamentary Candidate for the Scottish Labour Party I have visited the Guide Dog training centre at Forfar and familiarised myself with many of the access issues facing  people who are visually impaired or blind. I would urge all politicians to take a responsible attitude towards such groups of people who although small in number are often some of the most vulnerable and easily excluded in society. It is therefore crucial that organisations such as the RNIB and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association are fully involved in the development of policy's that impact on the life and mobility of the people they represent."

Kevin Secures Shadow Transport Commitment on Laurencekirk Junction

Following a fringe event on transport at the Scottish Labour Party Conference, Kevin secured a commitment from Charlie Gordon, Scottish Labour's Transport spokesperson to the Laurencekirk flyover project.

Kevin said:

"I spoke strongly in a meeting with Charlie Gordon about the clear safety and traffic management case for the Laurencekirk flyover. He had already noted with interest the review that had been called for by the SNP Government. While noting this could cause delay, he vowed that if he become an MSP again and was given the job of Transport Minister in a Scottish Labour Government that he would speedily deal with the results of the report.

"Charlie Gordon agreed that if he was given the job of Transport Minister he would give the report of the review his utmost attention. However he noted with some concern that the SNP had created a major funding problem by agreeing to go ahead with the new Forth Bridge crossing project. This would mean that he would have to look at new solutions to funding such projects as the Laurencekirk flyover, namely the development of new funding partnerships or the use of new borrowing powers under Calman."

  

Kevin Hutchens went on to say:

"I was very pleased that Charlie Gordon gave a clear commitment to pursuing the Laurencekirk flyover project in this way. Clearly he sees the urgency of dealing with the report of the review without delay." 

Successful lodging of nomination papers

The nomination papers for Kevin  have been successfully lodged with Angus Council in Forfar this week.

Kevin stated, "I am pleased to now be formally accepted as a Scottish Parliamentary Candidate for the Scottish Labour Party to contest the Angus North and Mearns constituency on May 5th. Since being selected earlier this year myself and my campaign team have been very busy getting about the constituency and meeting voters in the major communities of Forfar, Brechin, Montrose and Stonehaven. It is my hope now to get out into some of the other towns and villages in order to meet as many people as possible and hear something of the issues that concern them".

"Given the size and nature of the constituency and the fact it covers the two council areas of Angus and Aberdeenshire it may appear difficult to some people to identify common issues . Nevertheless  there are common themes that are beginning to emerge. For example the need for good communication links is crucial, and it will be vital to ensure the fullest possible promotion is given to the East Coast main rail route and that bus services continue to provide vital links to the area. There is also a need to ensure greater promotion of the tourist potential of the area, for example the Montrose Basin visitors centre is providing a valuable service to birdwatchers and also to local schools and colleges. At present it has visitor numbers of 12,000 a year and it is my belief that more could be done to boost these figures by greater promotion by the major train companies and Visit Scotland".

Kevin visits Donnattor Castle near Stonehaven

"While unemployment varies throughout Angus North and the Mearns it is fair to say that the need for new employment measures and for training opportunities is to the forefront of everybodys mind. There has already been a particular interest in the Scottish Labour Party commitment to offer Apprenticeship places to every suitably qualified sixteen to eighteen year old who wishes to take up such a place. The commitments made in this weeks Business Manifesto are also crucially important, particularly the establishment of  a Scottish Future Jobs Fund that will create real jobs and provide training for 10,000 young people, and others who have been unemployed for 6 months or more and provide upfront and flexible funding for businesses to create those jobs".

"In order to ensure voters have information on what I stand for I will be issuing regular news releases to all the local media and putting them on my website http://www.kevinhutchens.org.uk. I am particularly keen for voters to communicate issues of concern via the contact page".

"I look forward to the campaign ahead and putting forward the best possible case for the return of a Scottish Labour Party MSP on May 5th, but am particularly looking forward to meeting the many friendly people of Angus North and the Mearns".

Local Economy and Jobs subject of Conference Speech by Kevin

Kevin's speech recognises value of tourism locally (Dunnotar Castle)

At the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Glasgow on Saturday 19^th March, Kevin addressed the conference on the importance of Scottish Labours commitments to Angus North and Mearns.

"The Scottish Labour Party is the only major party in Scotland to have a clear commitment to continuing the work of the Agricultural Wages Board and to promoting both the National Minimum Wage and the work of the Gangmaster Licensing Authority. This is particularly important to the many migrant workers who make a crucial contribution to the rural economy. Many of these workers are often not in a Trade Union, and the support offered by Scottish Labour is crucial to ensure they get a full and adequate remuneration for their work.

"Another commitment of which I am particularly proud is to an Apprenticeship place for every sixteen to eighteen year old who is suitably qualified and wants a place. Following a meeting with Chief Executive of the Montrose Port Authority, John Paterson, several companies at the Montrose Port have been identified who could potentially offer places under this scheme. Such discussions need to be built upon and I would progress these if elected as MSP in May.

"Scottish Labour has also committed itself to making every job a green job. Again Montrose Port has much to offer. As a key hub in the transport network of the North Sea it can offer a link with offshore wind farms and their servicing in the future. It also serves as a vital link in metal recycling across Europe and such roles could be built upon by a Scottish Labour administration in Holyrood, as could greening of public sector jobs in both Aberdeenshire and Angus.

"Scottish Labour also has a commitment to promoting tourism, and could do much to promote Angus North and the Mearns, from the remoteness of Glen Esk to the historic castle at Forfar, to the importance of early experiments in Co-operatives in Brechin, to Montrose Basin and Stonehaven's Dunnotar Castle, all of whom have so much to offer."

In concluding his speech Kevin Hutchens stated ;-

"Scottish Labour is the only major political party in Scotland to bring all these commitments together. It is the only party that will stand up for migrant workers rights, prioritise green jobs, promote apprenticeships for all suitably qualified 16-18 year olds and give the fullest promotion of the beauty of Scotland and its rich heritage and culture. That is why I am proud to be standing for Scottish Labour and urging all the people of Angus North and the Mearns to return a Scottish Labour Party MSP on May 5^th."

Kevin made his speech extolling the importance of these commitments to the people of Angus North and the Mearns to a packed Glasgow Science Centre with over a thousand delegates and representatives present, including Trade Unions, Socialist Societies and representatives of individual Labour Party constituencies from across Scotland.