LOCHHEAD RE-SELECTED AS SNP CANDIDATE FOR MORAY
Posted on Tuesday, January 23 2007
Richard Lochhead (37) has been re-adopted as the SNP candidate for Moray in May's historic Scottish Parliament elections.Mr Lochhead, the Shadow Minister for Environment, Energy, Rural Affairs and Fisheries, was elected Moray's MSP in April last year with a record majority and 46% of the vote. Mr Lochhead was first elected to Holyrood in 1999 as regional member for North East Scotland before resigning his seat last yeat to contest the by-election.Introducing Mr Lochhead to a meeting of 120 local SNP members and supporters at the Mansefield Hotel in Elgin on Saturday, the Shadow Education Minister Fiona Hyslop said:"Richard Lochhead is one of the hardest working MSPs in the Scottish Parliament and commands the attention of MSPs of all parties when he gets up to speak. Richard regularly leaves the First Minister looking uncomfortable when he has to deal with the challenging questions that being put to him. Speaking at the meeting Richard Lochhead said:"It is an honour to have been re-selected as the SNP's candidate in Moray for May's historic elections. The SNP is set to win May's elections and take Scotland forward by offering the people a referendum on independence and the chance to choose a new future for our nation. This year's elections are historic because they co-incide with the 300th anniversay of the Treaty of Union and many Scots share the SNP's view that it's time for a new political arrangement for Scotland. "I have throughly enjoyed the privilege of representing Moray for the past eight months and pledge to continue the fight to improve the quality of life for everyone in who lives in the constituency. I will continue to campaign for a transport system fit for the 21st century to help bring new jobs to Moray and improve our links with the rest of the country. I will fight to protect our rural communities and resist attempts by the UK Government or the Moray Council to close our post offices and rural schools respectively. Other issues such our flooding problems, housing shortages and lack of NHS dentists are firmly on my agenda and I will ensure an SNP Government acts on all these issues. I thank the local SNP for investing their trust in myself as the Party's standard bearer in Moray." Constituency Association Convener Margo Howe said: "Moray SNP unanimously re-selected Richard as our candidate for this year's Scottish Parliament elections. He has shown himself to be a strong champion and tireless worker for Moray since his famous victory in the by-election last April. He has provided Moray with the strongest possible voice in Holyrood and is a rising political star with a national reputation for fighting hard for what he believes in. Moray SNP has every confidence that Richard will be re-elected by the people of Moray in May and will once again see off the opposition." ENDS.
MORAY MP BACKS HEART CAMPAIGN – AND URGES CONSTITUENTS TO SIGN UP TOO!
Posted on Tuesday, January 23 2007
Angus Robertson today backed a British Heart Foundation (BHF) campaign to raise awareness of the warning signs of a heart attack, urging constituents not to delay calling 999 if they experience chest pain.The MP for Moray threw his weight behind the charity's 'Doubt Kills' campaign, after attending a BHF event at the House of Commons. His support comes as new figures were released by the BHF showing that fewer than one in ten of the general public have the skills to save a life (1).A poll conducted for the BHF (1) shows around a quarter of the UK population have received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in the last five years. But when healthcare professionals and others who have received training as part of their job are discounted, just 9% of the general public have been trained voluntarily.In Scotland the figure is slightly better at 10% but much more could be done.The BHF is using the findings to urge more people to sign up to free Heartstart UK courses – which will not only increase the numbers able to save a life, but also increase general awareness of the symptoms of a heart attack and what to do if you have one.Angus Robertson said: "We often hear stories about when people should not call 999, but it is crucial that people are also told when they should call 999. Chest pain is one such occasion, because it could be a heart attack – and nobody is going to be upset with you if it turns out to be a false alarm."This is an important campaign from the BHF as it has the potential to save many lives in Moray. People in the area should also be armed with the skills to save a life should they be with someone when the worst happens – which is why I urge my constituents to sign up for a free Heartstart UK course."At the House of Commons event, Mr Robertson met one person who already owes his life to the campaign. Father of two Alec Keep would have died at home alone from a cardiac arrest had he not been prompted to call 999 by the BHF campaign.Alec, 65, experienced chest pain while driving home, and says he would have tried to battle through it had his journey not taken him past the charity's poster advert showing a man with a belt tightening around his chest. Once home, Alec called 999 – and within minutes of the paramedics arriving, he suffered a cardiac arrest, and would have died without their immediate treatment.Alec said: "I can't thank the BHF and the paramedics enough for saving my life. If I hadn't seen that advert, I probably would have just sat there waiting for the pain to go away. I'd have had the cardiac arrest at home and that would have been the end of me."Katharine Peel, Head of Emergency Life Support at the BHF, says: "We're really grateful for Angus Robertson's support. Coronary heart disease is the UK's single biggest killer, with someone suffering a heart attack every two minutes, so this is a problem none of us can afford to ignore (2)."About a third of heart attack victims die before reaching hospital because they go into cardiac arrest. Performing CPR can buy vital extra minutes and keep them alive until paramedics or a community responder arrives."The more people we can teach emergency life support skills, the more people will be aware of the symptoms of a heart attack. This in turn will hopefully mean people will react quicker if they or a family member suffer chest pain or other heart attack symptoms."The BHF is also calling for emergency life support training to be made a standard part of every child's education across the UK, to ensure an entire generation of children are exposed to vital lifesaving skills such as CPR.For more information, and to find a course in your area, visit bhf.org.uk/heartstart or email heartstart@bhf.org.uk. If you do not have email or internet access, call 020 7487 7115.ENDS
ROBERTSON RAISES NIMROD SAFETY PROGRESS
Posted on Monday, January 22 2007
MORAY MP QUESTIONS SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCEProgress in safety changes to Nimrod aircraft has been raised in the House of Commons by Moray MP Angus Robertson.The Scottish National Party (SNP) defence spokesman questioned Secretary of State Des Browne MP about updated procedures and also the status of inquires into the recent Nimrod crash in Afghanistan. Fourteen servicemen died when the aircraft came down outside Kandahar in September after what is believed to have been a technical fault.During Defence Questions at Westminster today (Monday) Mr Robertson MP asked:“The Secretary of State will be aware of the important role played by Nimrod aircraft and their crews in Afghanistan, but also about the tragic accident which cost so many lives of personnel from RAF Kinloss. Could the Minister update the House into the investigation of that accident, and also about changes in procedures relating to the fuel system, air to air refuelling and pressurisation?”Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne MP answered:“I say to the Honourable Gentleman that it would be entirely inappropriate for me to speculate about what the outcome of the Board of Inquiry might be into that dreadful, tragic accident that lost so many brave men's lives. I understand why he, as the Member of Parliament for the constituency in which RAF Kinloss is based is eager to get to the point where some explanation is able to be given to his constituents. I am eager to get to that point as well. But he knows that these enquiries are conducted independent of Ministers and we await the report.In reaction to the Commons exchange Mr Robertson said: “Clearly the Minister shares my concern that we have full answers to the causes of the Nimrod crash. I am now pursuing answers to the changes in procedures aboard Nimrod aircraft which are aimed at maximising safety”.ENDS
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