Bill Aitken
- Name:
- Bill Aitken
- Party:
- Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party
- Constituency:
- Glasgow Anniesland
- Election result May 2003:
- 3186 votes (14.37%), third of five candidates
Elected as MSP from Glasgow region
- Election literature available in Aspect:
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- Election policy statement:
- Bill Aitken says, "The Scottish Parliament has been a huge disappointment to many. Too much time has been spent on fringe issues whilst failing to address the very real concerns of the people of Scotland surrounding our Health Service, Education and job creation. Incredibly we have seen more than £340m wasted on the new building at Holyrood. More than 8 times the original estimate.
Something needs to be done to make the Scottish Parliament work and the Scottish Conservatives are the only Party offering something different.
Labour, Liberals and the SNP are basically all cut from the same left wing high spending cloth. Only the Scottish Conservatives whom most detached observers would identify as being the only effective Opposition for the last 4 years will make the Scottish Parliament work better for you.
We will tackle the issues that really matter".
In a Parliament of few successes Bill Aitken's determined approach allied to a real ability to get on with people has won him considerable respect. A Conservative Justice Spokesman, a Deputy Parliamentary Business Manager and the Deputy Convener of the influential Justice 2 Committee he has been heavily involved in most of the real issues in this first Parliament. He played a leading role the Housing (Scotland) Act, Land Reform Act and the Criminal Justice Act where his long experience as a Glasgow Councillor and Magistrate helped him to block the more damaging Liberal/Labour proposals. In particular they were forced to drop their plans to send 16 and 17 year old offenders to Children's Hearings and their unworkable proposals on smacking children.
His tough approach on crime is tempered by a keen sense of justice and working with others he was highly influential in ensuring that legal actions involving those terminally ill with asbestos related industrial disease will be dealt with much more speedily.
IMPROVING HEALTHCARE
More money is certainly being put in but the Health Service seems to get worse with growing waiting lists, unhappy staff and infections within our wards a matter for the gravest concern.
In Glasgow Accident and Emergency Hospitals are being cut from 5 to 2, a recipe for disaster. Shamefully Labour and Liberal Glasgow Members refuse to back Opposition calls to at least review the position. Something needs to be done and we will:-
- Devolve power to local hospitals and GPs so that Doctors and Nurses will have a greater say in how the NHS is run and that it responds to local needs.
- Creates a partnership between the NHS and the independent sector so that all facilities are used to benefit patients.
- Unify Health and Social Work care budgets to provide decent care in the community for older people.
- Review the potentially dangerous proposals for Emergency and Acute Service provision in Glasgow.
BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES
Violent crime is rising and in many parts of Anniesland people are too apathetic to report minor crimes and disorder. Something needs to be done and the Conservatives will do it. Specifically we will:-
- Give wider powers to the Children's Hearing System to include Community Service Orders, weekend and after school detention and we will ensure adequate secure places for dangerous and repeat offenders,
- Make certain that non custodial sentences work, in particular we will ensure that fines are paid and community service is actually done.
- Restore honesty in sentencing. The sentence imposed will be the sentence served.
- Fast track cases involving drug pushing.
- Above all we will ensure a high profile visible Police presence on our streets and within our communities providing the reassurance that we all need.
DRIVING UP STANDARDS IN EDUCATION
Despite dedicated teachers many schools are not performing and failing our children and our teachers. Jordanhill School is a classic example of the way things could be with parents, teachers and pupils operating a most successful partnership.
Something needs to be done and the Conservatives will:-
- Give parents a much greater say in how their children are educated.
- Apply Zero Tolerance to assaults on staff, particularly and disruptive behaviour generally. We will return the power of headteachers to run their schools.
- Give headteachers a much greater say in how the school budget is spent.
- Support the establishment of specialist schools geared up to get the best out of pupils.
We recognise that young graduates should not start their careers with a financial millstone round their necks. Liberal/Labour have simply deferred Tuition Fees. We will abolish the Graduate Tax to give our young graduates the best possible start.
- Further information:
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http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/bill_aitken/