my regular blog from

Click here to link to The Scottish Parliament website

Dear Constituent

Welcome to my website and the regular update on my work.

The main issue at First Minister’s Question Time this week was the SNP’s plans for a Local Income Tax (LIT). As Iain Gray pointed out, the consultation on LIT was published on the same day as the UK Government’s Pre-Budget Report. The First Minister's local income tax proposals would take £900 million out of the budget in Scotland. Among the organisations that roundly condemned the SNP’s tax plans are the ‘Big Six’ of CBI Scotland, the Institute of Directors Scotland, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland, Scottish Financial Enterprise and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, who are pleading with the SNP to ditch the Local Income Tax.


I had the honour of opening and closing the St Andrew’s Day debate for Labour. St Andrew’s day is a national (not nationalist) day of celebration, and I believe that it is also a day that the Scottish Parliament should use to reflect on what kind of Scotland we want to build. On Saturday 29th November, I will again be attending the STUC anti-racism march in order that we make it clear that Scotland welcomes all people and that racism and fascism have no place in Scotland.


I also had the opportunity to ask the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture a question on the Scottish Government’s plans to allocate part of the International Development Budget to the sub-Indian continent.


The Parliament also voted to support the policy of allowing councils to provide free school meals for pupils in the first  three years of primary school.


I had an extremely enjoyable evening when I attended the Tartan Clef Music Awards, which are held to raise funds for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. This is an amazing organisation which has just announced a commitment from Glasgow City Council for a centre for children with severe learning difficulties. The positive impact that music has on these young people in aiding their learning and as a tool for expressing themselves is remarkable.


Donald McLeod, Chairman of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy oversaw a fantastic night, which culminated in a live performance from the overall Tartan Cleff Award winners, The Fratellis. Dougie MacLean was also awarded the life-time achievement award and played his brilliant song Caledonia, which he wrote when he was twenty-six. I witnessed first-hand, Gordon Smith of the SFA personally inviting Dougie to perform Caledonia at Hampden Park which he has agreed to do.


Over recent weeks I have also joined students at Glasgow University in campaigning against the SNP government's plan to ban 18-21 year olds for off-sales. I have raised this with the First Minister at Question Time, calling on his Government to drop these unpopular plans.

Campaigning against the government's planned alcohol ban

Signing up to Glasgow Labour Club's petition against the SNP's off-sales ban with Ann McKechin MP and Glasgow University student, Patrick McGlinchey.

Thanks for stopping by.


Pauline McNeill MSP
for Glasgow Kelvin

Updated 1 December 2008

Click here for the blog archive