Window on Westminster: March
They want you to 'move on'! That'll be right!
It just gets worse! No sooner do we get lectured by local Carrick Councillors who voted to deprive Girvan of a swimming pool that it is 'time to move on', than they are at it again treating local people with contempt. A public meeting was organised for this Wednesday in Maybole Town Hall about the Council's proposal to open a children's home in Maybole – but only after public pressure. There would have been no public meeting if they had got their way as they tried to sneak through a token gesture at consultation. They just don't get it
Gardenrose Primary visit
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job as MP is to go to local schools and see some of the projects they undertake on the environment, social education and citizenship. Once again Gardenrose Primary 6 have shown their care for the environment with a study of energy efficiency. When I see a group of such intelligent, bright, enthusiastic children, it makes me more determined that no matter the difficulties of the recession, we cannot allow another lost generation of young people who were allowed to rot on the dole under the Tories in the 1980s.
Ayrshire Jobs Summit
I was pleased that Under Secretary of State for Scotland, Ann McKechin, accepted the invitation from Ayrshire MPs to host an Ayrshire Summit following her recent visit to my constituency. When she visited Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock we went along to workplaces employing young people under the Future Job Fund. It is quite amazing the number of ways that effort is being put into training and job creation for the benefit of young and long term unemployed and those made redundant. This has to continue and increase by investing in the economy and public services. Taking our foot off the accelerator just as we are going into recovery would be a disaster but that is exactly what the Tories plan to do if they get in.
Supermarkets must tell the truth about meat
Supermarkets have agreed to own up to the large amounts of foreign meat in pies, pasties and sandwiches labelled as made in Britain. As part of a Government plan to end misleading food labelling, the biggest grocery chains will show clearly the origin of foreign pork, bacon and ham in processed products, some of which have been made to look British.
The change was announced by the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn last week, and comes after complaints that shoppers wish to support local domestic farmers and higher animal welfare but are being misled about the origin of meat.
Under an EU labelling loophole, retailers can mark products with foreign meat "Produced in the UK" if they have undergone a significant change in Britain. In the case of a pie, 'significant change' can be simply encasing the foreign meat in pastry – they can then even stick a Union Jack on it!
This policy has allowed supermarkets to undercut British farms by buying budget pork from the Continent, where welfare standards are lower and production is consequently cheaper.
Maybole OAPs Annual Dinner
Talking of food, yet again the the OAP Annual Dinner in Maybole Town Hall was a great success. We enjoyed an excellent meal, lashings of fun and great entertainment. Pearl and her team came up trumps again for our senior citizens.
Sandra Osborne MP
