January/February 2025
- Liam Kerr
- 24 hours ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 18 minutes ago
Welcome to my newsletter, where I set out what I have been doing over the last month. If you want to see more of what I am up to, follow me on social media. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch through the details below.
I was deeply saddened at the passing of former Aberdeenshire Councillor Carl Nelson MBE. Carl was a gentleman who always looked out for me, and many others, as I found my feet as a representative. He is greatly missed by all.
I was pleased to join so many people at Carl’s funeral, alongside his friends and family. It was a fitting tribute to a wonderful man who is a significant loss to our community. Our thoughts and condolences remain with his family and friends.
Staff and officers working across the prison and justice estate are being let down by the Scottish Government.
A shocking 250 prisoner-on-staff attacks have been reported in Scottish Prisons on average every year, across the last ten years. Our prison staff work under immense pressure without proper funding from a failing SNP government and this is an appalling outcome from this government's negligence.
You can watch me discuss this in further detail here: https://tinyurl.com/8f29d7ex
In the North East, shocking figures have revealed that over four hundred police officers are being assaulted each year – attacks have included stabbing, slashing, and biting.
The SNP’s current soft touch approach, effectively banning short-term prison sentences, has meant perpetrators are dodging jail. That is why, along with my Scottish Conservative colleagues, I am calling for the maximum prison sentence for criminals who assault emergency workers to be doubled. We must send a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated, and those responsible will face severe consequences.
You can read more of my views on this issue here: https://tinyurl.com/3ph99hrv
Police officers, unable to go on strike to express their fury after a recent derisory pay offer, have chosen to ‘withdraw goodwill’ in protest instead. This powerful demonstration of their anger should be an urgent wake-up call for SNP ministers, to stop treating hard working police officers with such contempt.
You can read my comments on this here: https://tinyurl.com/mu2nzufe
The SNP's soft-touch justice approach is letting criminals off scot-free. The Scottish Sentencing Council has admitted that fewer young people are being jailed under controversial guidelines introduced by the group in 2022. Sheriffs and judges are being urged to dish out more lenient sentences to those aged under 25, letting hundreds of criminals off with a slap on the wrist.
The guidelines have been cited in several controversial cases, including the case of a short sentence, of only four years, being issued to a 16-year-old whose attack on a bus driver caused the driver’s death.
Offenders over 21 are adults – and they must face the consequences for breaking the law. Instead, too many are avoiding jail altogether and left free to offend again. This systemic erosion of justice is an insult to victims, whose needs seem to be an afterthought of SNP ministers.
I am calling on the SNP to show some common sense and ditch these reckless guidelines.
You can read more here: https://tinyurl.com/5upjuejd
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Last month, the results of the FAI into the tragic deaths of Katie Allan and William Lindsay at Polmont were finally published. The Cabinet Secretary gave a statement to Parliament about what the Government will do in response.
The FAI has many recommendations, and the Cabinet Secretary said she would take meaningful and urgent action. I took the opportunity to ask the Cabinet Secretary three questions.
When does she anticipate significant progress regarding her pursuit of the lifting of crown immunity; why there will be a year-long delay before the results of a review of the Fatal Accident Inquiry system are published when it is obvious to everyone in the system that it is not working; the cabinet secretary has stated that she will extend legal aid to bereaved families participating in FAI’s, yet the legal aid system is already starved of money and resources. I asked her what extra funding and resources she believes are required to facilitate this extension of legal aid, and when will it be made available.
You can watch and decide if she answered my questions here: https://tinyurl.com/47srau9p
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Parliament passed the Police (Ethics, Conduct, and Scrutiny) Bill in mid-January. The Bill aims to strengthen public trust in Police Scotland by introducing a statutory Code of Ethics and enhancing the powers of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.
I closed the debate for the Scottish Conservatives pointing out, that whilst we would support the bill, as usual with Government legislation in the Scottish Parliament, there are some good elements, but a whole range of unknowns, dubious drafting, and hidden costs.
You can watch my statement here: https://tinyurl.com/mr48rc5k
The Children's Minister came before Parliament in January to tell us that Scotland's secure care facilities are almost full. In her statement, she talked about a facility at St Mary's Kenmure. A 2024 report by the Care Inspectorate found that this facility had “dangerously low” levels of staff.
I asked the Minister how the Scottish Government were ensuring that staffing levels were being maintained at appropriate levels across the whole secure care facilities estate.
The Minister's response completely ignored my question. What a waste of time.
You can watch the exchange here: https://tinyurl.com/6rk9582v
The sorry saga of incompetence from the SNP-Lib Dem Aberdeen City Council continues, and it is harming Aberdeen residents.
The poorly devised Low Emission Zone set a record last August for the highest number of fines issued in a month, higher than Edinburgh and Glasgow. I warned from the start, that many people in Aberdeen would be caught out by these stringent restrictions because they can’t afford to replace the older vehicles they drive – and the figures show that’s precisely what has happened!
Drivers in and around the city are paying a high price to commute to work or do business in the city centre, and they aren’t seeing anything worthwhile in return. The SNP-Lib Dem council must stop punishing motorists and reverse the scheme.
You can read more here: https://tinyurl.com/3aa7eaky
And that’s not all! The infamous bus gates that ban cars from city centre streets are continuing to damage businesses by discouraging the public from visiting the city centre.
Struggling businesses have had enough and have given their support to long established trader Norman Esslemont’s legal battle with Aberdeen City Council over the bus gates. The legal case follows claims that the council did not seek the consent of Scottish Government Ministers before implementing the scheme. Norman Esslemont has hired lawyer Alasdair Sutherland, who succeeded in ensuring restrictions on traffic in Inverness were abandoned, to enact the legal challenge. If indeed the bus gates have been implemented illegally, the 50,000 fines handed to motorists may have to be refunded: a complete disaster by the SNP-Lib Dem council.
You can watch my interview with That’s TV Scotland where I discuss this here: https://fb.watch/xzlJSm2iXf/
Not bothered. Not listening. In denial. The council have said they are ‘not concerned’ about the legal threat and are choosing to ignore the desperate pleas of businesses. SNP council co-leader Christian Allard said, “we will be judged at the elections”. I couldn’t agree more, the SNP must be held to account for their shameful neglect of our city centre businesses and the damage inflicted to the local economy. You can read more about this here: https://tinyurl.com/yckf3s3j
In another brutal blow for the North East, BP announced they are cutting thousands of jobs. This is proof that the SNP and Labour are happy to turn their backs on the Oil and Gas industry. I agree with Douglas Lumsden MSP when he says, “the consequences of Labour’s short-sighted sanctions of increasing the windfall tax, ending the investment allowance and opposing all new oil and gas licences are now being felt”. He warned “Keir Starmer’s desire to kill off the industry will force us to import expensive fossil fuels from overseas with a far higher carbon footprint…. BP’s decision is disastrous for Scotland and must act as a catalyst for both Labour and the SNP to show some common sense for a change by supporting the sector”.
You can read more here: https://tinyurl.com/bpbxvn8h
No matter how much Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes tries to deflect, the SNP continue to suffocate the industry by opposing every new North Sea development. There are fears that a crucial North Sea pipeline network is facing possible closure a decade earlier than planned. In the publication of the upcoming energy strategy, Kate Forbes and the SNP must drop the irresponsible playground politics, back North Sea Oil and Gas and safeguard our energy security.
Read more about this here: https://tinyurl.com/4xwatk9c
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Remember the SNP’s ridiculous idea to reduce speed limits on our A roads?
Thought they’d abandoned it after the backlash? Think again.
In yet another example of nonsense from the SNP as they, again, consider reducing speed limits on major trunk roads. If approved, the plans would result in motorists on major roads such as the A9, A82, A96, and A90 facing a reduction in speed from 60mph to 50mph. This utterly misguided scheme would disproportionately affect motorists in rural areas who depend on these routes for work and daily life.
I encourage you to take part in the public consultation and tell them exactly what you think by accessing the consultation here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxjn5mz
You can also watch me give my thoughts on this here:
I assure you we will do all we can to get this ridiculous proposal thrown out.
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The Transport Secretary has admitted she has never met with Transport Scotland to discuss safety issues at the Toll of Birness.
Last October, a pedestrian was killed in the area after being hit by a bus.
I am still waiting for an answer, will she join me in the cab of a HGV turning right onto the A90 to experience first-hand the danger that drivers face every day... I somehow doubt she will accept, don't you?
You can read more here: https://tinyurl.com/2cc9wm7d
There are 138 owners of properties that are affected by RAAC in Torry who will receive a post-RAAC valuation for their properties. This is wholly unfair it seems to me, and despite the best efforts of the Torry Community RAAC Campaign group, neither Aberdeen City Council, the Scottish Government or the UK Government will take responsibility for helping these desperate homeowners.
At the start of January, I asked the First Minister if he would step in and help them, or duck responsibility and point at someone else. The First Minister gave me various assurances, not least about the Housing Minister engaging with me. Yet, despite this assurance and the Minister receiving two letters from me about engaging with RAAC-affected homeowners in Aberdeen, there has been no action.
You can watch the exchange here: https://tinyurl.com/248xamud
You can read my letters to the Minister here: https://tinyurl.com/2p7e8nzw
While the SNP seem to have given up on helping residents in Aberdeen, I took the opportunity to highlight the similar situation RAAC-affected homeowners in Dundee and Angus are experiencing. Let’s see if he will be more helpful with these residents.
That’ll be a “no” then.
You can watch the clip here:
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The reopening of the Belmont Cinema would be transformational for Aberdeen and the North East, but requires capital funding. When the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Angus Robertson, failed to say he'd support it to another member, I hit the button to ask if he would support anything outside the central belt.
His answer was a disgrace. He ignored the question, including the central belt focus and just started banging on about the upcoming budget vote. Of course, he failed to mention the extra and unexpected £3.4 billion the Scottish Government is receiving this year.
You can watch the exchange here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9n83eu
However, shortly afterwards, the Belmont Cinema was able to secure a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary to discuss their campaign for funding, and potential support the Scottish Government could provide.
I warmly welcome the news that since that meeting, the Belmont Cinema has been awarded £169,000 per year from Creative Scotland for three years of multi-year funding. This funding will support the Belmont Cinema in its noble aim of creating a vibrant cultural hub that serves the people of the North East.
You can read more about the funding here: https://tinyurl.com/4c89k268
In January, I was joined by a fantastic team of volunteers to help deliver my residents’ surveys in Chapelton of Elsick. I am always keen to hear directly from residents about their concerns and priorities. Thank you to all of those who came along, and I am grateful for the survey responses received so far.
I have had a couple of great visits recently. I visited the Light of Bengal who have recently won Asian Restaurant of the Year in Scotland. I was delighted to hear more about the restaurant, their achievements, and the chance to learn more about their business.
I also had an excellent visit to Duncan Farms to learn more about their recent commitment to free range egg expansion and farm sustainability. Incredibly, each free-range egg is traceable using an online egg tracker on the farm’s website, allowing customers to trace their egg back to the farm it came from. You can try it here.
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