I was saddened to read about the employment rate within West Dunbartonshire being below the Scottish and UK average last week. With over 2000 families with children having no one in the household in employment is worrying. I suspect there are variety of reasons for this, but it is something the council and SNP Government should be addressing as a matter of priority. Yes there are benefits in place to ensure a house is provided along with money for food, but as a society we need to encourage people to get back into work. This not only provides them financial independence, it is also extremely important for social interaction. Much more needs to be done to achieve this to ensure future generations aren’t out of work also. The slide from 80th in the UK to 6th area with highest level of household unemployment in the UK over the past 13 years is disastrous. Again very coincidental with when the SNP became the Government. These are problems that the Scottish Parliament could begin to fix if it wasn’t spending most of its time on constitutional issues. We need to get around to debating these issues and seeing positive action being taken. Dumbarton, Clydebank and other areas in West Dunbartonshire have skilled workers and are able to work if the opportunities were provided.

Brexit doesn’t have to be negative, or feared, the opportunities that it could provide are immense. West Dunbartonshire has a great history of manufacturing and industry, I have spoken with companies and will continue to do so, who are interested in basing themselves in West Dunbartonshire. As a country we need to focus on the positives and overcome the negatives. If you are out of work today, you could be in work tomorrow, things change and time evolves. Hopefully, as the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party we can continue to battle in the Scottish Parliament to hold the SNP to their failings all around the country of providing vital services and adequate employment opportunities.