Tag Archives: Westminster Notes

Michael Moore

Michael Moore’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 31st October 2012 - 4:28 pm

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here is this week’s edition.

Eyemouth Renewables

I have been working with Eyemouth Harbour Trust and other local stakeholders over recent years to ensure our local economy benefits from the planned offshore wind development in the Firth

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 24th October 2012 - 10:28 am

Independence Referendum

Last week, the First Minister, Deputy First Minister, the Prime Minister and I signed an agreement on the terms of the independence referendum which means we can now get on with the real debate over Scotland’s future. In the next two years, it is vital that both sides set out their arguments clearly and robustly and last week the UK Government began this process by submitting evidence to the Defence and Foreign Affairs

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 5 Comments
Michael Moore

Michael Moore’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 17th October 2012 - 6:55 pm

Every week Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. 

Independence Referendum

Over the past month, I have been working with the Scottish Government to agree the terms of the independence referendum and I am pleased to say that this week, the Prime Minister and the First Minister signed the agreement. This agreement is the culmination of months of debate and several weeks of talks I have held with the Deputy First Minister on this issue.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 12 Comments
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 19th September 2012 - 2:55 pm

Local catch ups

In my work as Borders MP I have regular catch ups with local public services such as NHS Borders, Lothian and Borders police and Scottish Borders Council. These are valuable meetings during which I am updated on key local issues and I am able bring my constituents’ concerns to their attention. Last week, as part of these regular catch ups, I met with Chief Superintendent John Hawkins in Hawick to discuss the work of local police and the crime and policing issues.

Referendum

Ever since the Scottish Government announced their plan to hold a referendum on Scottish Independence, I have …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , , , , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Fri 14th September 2012 - 11:21 am

Cabinet reshuffle

Last week I was honoured to be re-appointed as Scottish Secretary by the Prime Minister as he conducted his first re-shuffle of the UK Government cabinet since the 2010 election. Combining this with my responsibilities as Borders MP has been a great privilege over the last two years and I am looking forward to continuing to serve Borderers and Scots in these two roles.

There is no doubt that Scotland currently faces many challenges in terms of the economy, growth and jobs and I am committed to getting the best deal for Borderers and all other Scots, as MP and …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Thu 6th September 2012 - 2:25 pm

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here’s the latest edition.

Paralympics

The fantastic display of sport and athleticism we saw in the Olympics last month is now being displayed all the more in the London 2012 Paralympics, with an astonishing haul of medals from Paralympics GB. Sadly however for the Borders, Kate Murray was unsuccessful last week in her medal bid in the archery but she has said that she aims to represent her country again in Rio in four years’ time. As local MP, I want to …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 2 Comments
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Fri 10th August 2012 - 9:23 am

Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP writes a regular column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here’s the latest edition.

Olympics

I think everyone would agree that the Olympics have been absolutely fantastic so far with medals won by Team GB in rowing, gymnastics, swimming and cycling and many other events. The team has done exceptionally well and it has been brilliant to see Scots such as Andy Murray, Heather Stanning, Chris Hoy, Katherine Grainger and Michael Jamieson winning medals. The support of Britons up and down the country has been brilliant and I know it has given …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged and | 1 Comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 1st August 2012 - 9:25 am

Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes a weekly column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here’s the latest edition.

Surgeries

Last week I completed my second week of summer advice surgeries where I visited many more towns and villages in the Borders and discussed a huge range of issues affecting individuals and communities. These surgeries are a highlight of my work as Borders MP and it has been great to meet with so many people over the last two weeks.

Border Union Show

Last week I attended the 199th Border Union Show in Kelso and spent a fantastic couple of …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Thu 26th July 2012 - 8:55 am

Every week Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here is the latest edition.

Advice surgeries

Last week I began my annual summer advice surgeries during which I will visit around 40 towns and villages across the Borders. These surgeries are a fantastic opportunity for me to hear the concerns of my constituents and discuss how I can support them in my role as MP. I have already held nearly 30 of these surgeries and discussed issues as wide-ranging as wind farms, housing, local roads and jobs.

Residents’ survey

As part of my work as …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 18th July 2012 - 9:25 am

Every week Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here’s this week’s edition.

Farming

It has been a challenging few months for farmers here in the Borders with the extreme weather putting pressure on feed and bedding supplies and causing untold damage to crops and disruption to livestock. We have also heard the worrying news that processors are aggressively cutting the price they pay to our dairy farmers at the farm gate. These cuts are extremely disappointing because they appear to fly in the face of rising prices in global markets …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 4th July 2012 - 4:54 pm

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here’s this week’s edition.

Armed forces day

Armed Forces Day last Saturday was a chance for the country to express its gratitude for the courage and bravery of serving and former service personnel, as well as the immense contribution made by their families. In my constituency we have a strong connection with our armed forces so I was pleased to be able to take part in various celebrations to mark the day.

As UK citizens, we have a duty of care towards the men and

…

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged and | 2 Comments
Michael Moore

Michael Moore’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 27th June 2012 - 2:50 pm

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here’s this week’s edition.

Energy prices

Rising energy continue to be a huge for concern for Borderers and I was pleased to meet with the Lib Dem Energy Secretary Ed Davey last week to discuss the Government’s plans to help people reduce their energy bills through the Green Deal, the most ambitious home insulation programme the UK has ever seen.

With the Green Deal, Borderers will be able to pay for some or all of the insulation work done with the savings they make on …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | 1 Comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 20th June 2012 - 9:46 am

Every week Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here is this week’s edition.

Olympic Torch in the Borders

 With the London Olympics just around the corner, it was great to be part of the crowd welcoming the Torch to the Borders last week. It received a very warm reception and it was fantastic to see so many people getting behind the event. The Torch’s eight day journey through Scotland has given us an opportunity to showcase everything Scotland has to offer and I would like to thank everyone in …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Fri 15th June 2012 - 4:24 pm

Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes a column for newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here’s this week’s edition. 

The Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Torch

Despite the wet, windy weather, I am glad to say that the Diamond Jubilee celebrations last week were a great success here in the Borders and across the UK. It was great to see so many local communities getting together to congratulate the Queen on 60 years serving the country, making it an extremely memorable and enjoyable occasion. From one historic event to another, last week’s celebrations follow swiftly onto the …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , , and | 3 Comments
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 23rd May 2012 - 10:56 am

Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP writes a weekly column for his local newspapers. Here is this week’s edition.

Independence Referendum

As discussions continue surrounding the process and timing of the Scottish Government’s independence referendum, the UK Government published the results of their consultation on the referendum last week. With nearly 3000 responses, the results demonstrated strong support from all quarters in Scotland for a referendum which is legal, fair and decisive.

Since our consultation was launched in January we have already made a good deal of progress with the Scottish Government – both agreeing that a Section …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , , and | 1 Comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 16th May 2012 - 10:25 am

Every week Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland writes a column for local newspapers in his Borders constituency. Here is this week’s edition.

Queen’s Speech

Last week, we saw the State Opening of Parliament by the Queen. Her Majesty set out the legislation planned for the second session of Parliament following the formation of the Coalition. The legislation outlined in the speech supports our efforts to reduce the deficit, rebalance the economy and put the country on the path to sustainable growth. It also sets out our commitment to provide families, businesses and communities across the country with the support they …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , , , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 9th May 2012 - 6:53 pm

Every week, Michael Moore MP writes a column for local papers in his constituency. Here is this week’s edition.

Burnmouth Harbour

 In Berwickshire we have a stunning coastline with a fine fishing industry and some of the best prawn, crab and other catches in the country. Last week I was at Burnmouth Harbour to meet John Aitchison, the harbour master, and John Affleck, a local fisherman, to discuss the current issues facing the industry and particularly in Burnmouth. We met over lunchtime so I was treated to some delicious sandwiches, made from freshly caught crab off the east coast. I was lucky …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 2nd May 2012 - 4:55 pm

Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland writes a regular column for newspapers in his constituency. Here’s this week’s edition.

Scotland Bill

 Last week the Scotland Bill completed its passage through the House of Commons and received Royal Assent today (1st May). As a Liberal Democrat I have always supported devolution and Home Rule and as Secretary of State for Scotland I am proud to have piloted this Bill through Westminster to deepen devolution even further. Despite their initial opposition, I am pleased that the SNP have also come round to supporting the Bill which will bring about the biggest ever transfer …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , , and | 2 Comments
Michael Moore

Michael Moore’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 25th April 2012 - 8:50 am

Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP writes a weekly column for local newspapers in his constituency. Here’s this week’s edition.

Scottish Questions

Last week was Parliament’s first week back after the Easter break and on Wednesday I had one of my regular sessions of Scottish Questions as Secretary of State for Scotland. Question time is an opportunity for the opposition frontbench and backbench MPs to ask the Government questions about policy and any current issues affecting Scotland. Last week’s questions were therefore mainly focussed on the March budget and the progress of the Scotland Bill through Holyrood and Westminster.

The economy …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 21st March 2012 - 10:55 am

Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP writes a weekly column for newspapers in his constituency. Here’s the latest edition.

The Economy

 The economy remains the most important concern for people in my constituency and last week’s employment figures were a reminder of the challenging economic climate and that getting people into work is the UK Government’s first priority for Scotland.

We are doing all we can to get people working by laying the foundations for more sustainable growth and creating the conditions for businesses to invest in good quality jobs. By reducing corporation tax and making tough decisions on public spending …

Continue reading »
Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes – Scotland better off in Union

By Michael Moore | Wed 14th March 2012 - 11:55 am

Every week, Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes a column for local newspapers in his constituency. These are the highlights of the last two editions. 

Afghanistan

 The loss of six young soldiers in Afghanistan last week shocked and saddened the whole country and was a grave reminder of the huge sacrifice made by our armed forces in one of the most dangerous places in the world. The work of our men and women in Afghanistan is absolutely vital for the security of the UK and the freedom of the Afghan people and the deaths of these young men remind us …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , , , and | 2 Comments
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 29th February 2012 - 6:55 pm

Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore writes regular columns for local newspapers in his constituency. Here’s this week’s edition.

Scottish Questions and the Referendum

 My work in Westminster was particularly busy last week with Scottish Questions and a session at the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. Unsurprisingly, the Scottish Government’s independence referendum was high on the agenda at both, with numerous questions being raised on the timing, the question and the SNP’s plans for an independent Scotland.

During Scottish Questions I highlighted the concerns felt by many people across Scotland that the SNP have not spelt out what an independent Scotland …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , and | Leave a comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes

By Michael Moore | Wed 8th February 2012 - 8:55 am

Referendum on Independence

Now that we know that a referendum will definitely be held on Scottish independence, I am committed to working with the Scottish Government to ensure we have one that is fair, legal and decisive. A few weeks ago I launched a consultation to seek views on how we could achieve this and I want to encourage Borderers to take part to make their voices heard on this incredibly important issue.

Following the launch of the consultation I have also met with the CBI, Scottish Engineering and others and I plan to meet with many other Scottish businesses, representatives of …

Continue reading »
Posted in Parliament | Also tagged , , , and | 1 Comment
Michael Moore

Michael Moore MP’s Westminster Notes 1 February 2012

By Michael Moore | Wed 1st February 2012 - 9:59 am

Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP writes a regular column for local newspapers in his constituency. Here’s this week’s edition.

Jobs

Economic recovery and jobs remain the most important issues for people here in the Borders and last week was tough in terms of unemployment news. There has sadly been an increase in unemployment since the summer and these figures are a reflection of problems in the Eurozone and the tough economic climate here at home and in the wider global economy.

Finding work for the unemployed is therefore top of the Government’s agenda, and we are taking action …

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged , , and | Leave a comment
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Simon Costain
    I'm guessing around a thousand high net worth individuals are resident on the Isle of Man for tax purposes, though others suggest up to 3,000 Low earners on ...
  • David Wright
    While Trump's "gift of the license to manufacture Patriot air defence missiles" is welcome, it won't stop a single Russian missile aimed at Ukraine this year or...
  • Matt Wardman
    Thanks for the piece, Tom. I tend to disagree on the NATO summit. Listening to serious reports (my goto since February 2022 has been the Telegraph's Ukraine ...
  • theakes
    Considerable concern in Democratic circles that Trump will call the coming election rigged, cancel the States results won by the opposition and then impose mart...
  • Peter Martin
    @ Roland, I'm not sure I understand your comment. Every company which is registered for VAT can reclaim VAT on purchased items. The question is whether VAT s...