DAVID STEWART: Balance must be struck regarding public accessibility to politicians and their safety
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I HAVE been very fortunate in my political career to have been given the opportunity to serve the Highlands in various elected positions since I was a fresh-faced district councillor in Inverness in the mid-1980s.
There were early lessons from older, more experienced hands:
n “You are there to represent constituents, not yourself.”
n “Bureaucrats get things wrong. Always fight for the underdog.”
n “The Highlands often get a raw deal – make yourself count in the press and media.”
Hopefully I followed the advice in public meetings, campaigns and face-to-face surgeries. While I believe the advice still holds good for younger, more inexperienced members across the Highlands, one key aspect has changed – the security and safety of our local and national politicians.
The Greens councillor from Badenoch and Strathspey, Pippa Hadley, made a powerful speech to the full Highland Council earlier this month calling on the local authority to introduce a raft of safety measures to protect local councillors after she was subjected to a vicious verbal attack by a constituent last year.
At national level, Sir David Amess – who I met at Westminster a few years ago – was murdered at a constituency surgery. Labour MP Jo Cox was killed outside a community hall in her own constituency.
It is important in my view that we encourage the talented, the committed and those rooted in their local communities to stand for elected office – not least for the local authority elections on May 5 this year.
It is also key that Highland constituents can contact and raise local issues with their elected members, but a balance must be struck.
There already has been a legitimate change in the safety regimes for MSPs and MPs around panic alarms and home and office security.
The Highland Council deserves a pat on the back for their sensible and precautionary reaction to Councillor Hadley’s concerns.
n Still on the theme of the Highland Council, I strongly support its decision to bestow the Freedom of the Highlands to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
His video conference speech to the Commons led to a standing ovation by MPs, normally something frowned on by Westminster old school traditionalists.
There is more we can all do to support the Ukrainian people.
The new “cash for accommodation” scheme will provide £350-a-month to anyone offering Ukrainians a home within the UK. Let’s turn the famed Highland hospitality into reality for Ukrainian refugees.
n I have a university essay deadline in a few weeks, so I am now in panic mode!
My kitchen table is a mass of yellow legal pads with barely legible good ideas written on them.
I am through in Edinburgh today for a workshop on research design. The students in my class are all in their early 20s and from China, India and England. I am even 30 years older than the tutor!
I am in awe of my fellow students’ IT skills – literally every workshop day is a first day at school event for me.
