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Macneil misses the point 15/7/09
Sir,
On Wednesday Ist July a meeting was held in London attended by Quentin Davies Defence Minister, Jim Murphy, Secretary of State for Scotland, Cllr Angus Campbell, Cllr Donald John Macsween, Calum Ian Maciver, Head of Development with the Comhairle, Angus Macmillan, Storas Uibhist, Sandy Cumming, HIE and Angus Brendan Macneil MP. The meeting was held to discuss the future of the range in Uist.
The following morning Angus Brendan Macneil was on the radio telling us all that nothing had been achieved, perhaps what he meant was that he had achieved nothing. Let us look at the facts:
- The meeting was convened by the Secretary of State for Scotland and was facilitated by Cllr D J Macsween in his role as member of the Task Group. Angus Brendan Macneil had nothing to do with calling the meeting. Indeed he had made no attempt to discuss this matter with the Secretary of State for Scotland since the MOD announcement.
- The Leader of the Comhairle, Angus Campbell, stated ‘I felt that this was as productive a meeting as you would get under the circumstances and the (Defence) Minister agreed to keep an open mind.’
- The Secretary of State for Scotland, Jim Murphy, visited Uist on Thursday 9th July deliberately extending his visit to the Western Isles in order to meet the Task Group.
- Quentin Davies, Defence Minister, has agreed to visit the Uists in the near future. He has commissioned his officials to carry out further work. He has made it clear that there is more than one option to be considered at the end of the consultation period. The Minister has agreed to be cooperative and to listen.
Angus Brendan Macneil MP does not consider these as achievements: the Task Force does. Angus Brendan Macneil MP prefers to issue vacuous press releases like his most recent one where he contacts Defence Spokespersons from the opposition parties to gather ‘their opinions and perspectives’ on the situation in Uist. Fat lot of good that will do.
And, of course, he fails to grasp that the role of the Task Group is much more than securing the base, it is also about initiating a process by which the economic future of the Uists, Benbecula and Barra might be determined.
That is why I conclude by welcoming the positive intervention of John Swinney, Scottish Government Finance Minister. He has agreed to support the Task Group not just issue empty press releases which claim credit where none is due.
Angus McCormack
25 North Street
Sandwick
Isle of Lewis
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