Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, writes a regular column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition. 

Jobs campaign

I recently launched a local jobs initiative as part of the Liberal Democrats’ ‘A Million Jobs’ campaign.

Apprenticeships are a really effective way of tackling youth unemployment because they enable young people to develop the training, skills and experience they need to enter fulltime paid employment. They also benefit businesses who gain value from the skilled staff they have trained.

To promote this campaign and see firsthand what it’s like to work as an apprentice, I spent two afternoons shadowing apprentices from my Constituency last week. I spent one afternoon at D S Dalgleish and Son in Gala and another at Mainetti in Jedburgh and both were extremely enjoyable experiences. It was clear at both businesses that the apprentices are thoroughly enjoying their training and are a key part of the team.

Over the next few months I will be working with other local businesses and stakeholders to try and encourage more and more businesses to follow Mainetti and Dalgleish’s lead and take on apprentices. 

Syria

I know everyone has been shocked and appalled by the pictures we have seen in recent months of human cost of the conflict between President Assad’s Government and the rebels in Syria. Adding to the Syrian people’s terrible suffering is the new evidence that chemical weapons have been used by the regime. As a result of this, the UK Parliament was recalled last week to vote on a motion to determine our response, as a country, to this terrible development in the conflict.

The UK Government believes that the use of chemical weapons by the regime means a red line has been crossed, as the weapons are banned under international law. The motion last week therefore condemned the use of these weapons, called for a strong humanitarian response and, if necessary, the use of military force to prevent and deter the use of chemical weapons in the country. It also welcomed the work of the UN weapons inspectors in Syria and outlined that every effort should be made to secure a Security Council Resolution backing military action before any action is taken.

I voted for this motion because I believe that, working with the international community and the UN, we must stand against the use of such weapons and hold the perpetrators to account in the most appropriate way possible. I fully respect the decision by Parliament and, as the Prime Minister has made clear, we will continue to work with the UN and our allies to use all diplomatic means at our disposal to bring peace to the region.

* Michael Moore was the Liberal Democrat MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk from 1997-2015 and Secretary of State for Scotland from 2010-2013.