MARIE CURIE TEA PARTY
I was delighted to be able to do my bit for Marie Curie Cancer Care by hosting my own Blooming Great Tea Party.
The initiative is designed to raise money to help Marie Curie Nurses provide more free care to people with terminal illnesses in their own homes.
With every £20 raised helping to pay for one hour of care, we in the Borders need to do everything we can to help.
That’s why I was happy to invite people into my officefor tea, cake and a chat. I hope more people in the Borders will be hosting their own tea parties over the next month, as any amount of money raised will be a great help.
TOWN CENTRES
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has highlighted 11 town centres in the Borders which are under threat due to local closures.
They warn that these closures – be it bank branches or police counters – pose a threat to efforts to turn around Scottish high streets and rejuvenate local economies. They have all restricted the number of jobs and visitors in our town centres, counteracting a lot of the good work that has been achieved.
It is no wonder that the FSB have chosen to voice their concerns, as many of the small businesses they represent will be under increased danger of closing if something is not done to boost these local economies.
It is now up to the SNP Government to listen and take action to save our towns.
We cannot afford to see the economies of these towns suffer any more, but without further investment from Holyrood we face seeing more significant closures in years to come.
JIM CLARK RALLY
Kenny MacAskill, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, recently announced that the Scottish Government will carry out a review into motorsport event safety in Scotland.
It follows this year’s rally, during which three spectators were tragically killed.
The review should be a positive step towards ensuring we never see a repeat of these deaths, however, I am keen to urge caution against any knee-jerk reactions in response to this incident.
The Jim Clark Rally is a long-established event in the Borders and whilst everyone is shocked by what happened, I think it would be regrettable if any premature decisions were taken about the future of the rally. That is why the Cabinet Secretary must work closely with the Motor Sports Association and with the Border Ecosse and Berwick and District motor clubs before implementing any controls on events of this nature.
We cannot allow this historic rally to cease running altogether, and any suggested changes must be realistic and achievable.