Latest News
Pension Credit Cut
Bill Kidd, SNP MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, hits out against cuts to pensioners’ income hidden by the Tories behind Brexit fanfare. Bill Kidd MSP called out the UK Government’s use of Brexit to cover up additional cuts to income penalising mixed-aged pensioner couples. Initially announced in the 14th January week of Brexit votes, following on from the spectacle leading up to Christmas, the UK Government sneaked in a significant cut to pensioner’s income amidst the clamour and fanfare of Brexit headlines. The change means that from the 15th May new pensioners with younger partners (under the age of 65) will no longer be able to apply for Pensioner’s Credit. Instead, they will have to apply for Universal Credit. Affected households will each loose up to £7,320 per year until their partner reaches the age of 65. Last week SPICe- an independent parliamentary research centre- found that 10% of Scottish pensioner households claiming pensioner credit are likely to be affected by the change. 15,000 couples across the UK are expected to be hit by this change in this year alone.Bill Kidd MSP has emphasized, “Food bank use is on the rise and the Tories have finally admitted that their crippling scheme of Universal Credit is to blame. This system is an unacceptable and cruel prioritisation of the richest above the poorest. Using Brexit to sneak in this additional universal credit cut hits another low point for the Tories. I, along with my SNP colleagues here in the Scottish Parliament and in Westminster, will not stop speaking out for our constituents. We want a system which is fair and does not penalise the poorest in Scotland.” Universal Credit was rolled out in into the Anniesland constituency area on 5th December 2018.
Read more...Scottish SPCA issue fresh appeal for information after one of the abandoned puppies in Knightswood dies
The puppies were found in the Knightswood area of Glasgow on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 February, one of which tested positive for parvovirus.
We took two spaniel puppies and a Pomeranian into our care after finding them in Banner Avenue and Knightswood Park.
Inspector Gillian Dick said, “We are issuing a further appeal for information after two spaniel pups, one of which had parvovirus, and a Pomeranian puppy were found in Knightswood.
“Unfortunately, the Pomeranian puppy has passed away. He came to us with an open wound and in a very poor state, covered in fleas and lice. He was also found to have parvovirus.
“Very sadly, he couldn’t recover from his ailments and he didn’t pull through.
“The two spaniel puppies are doing better but they are still in the care of a vet.
“One of the spaniel pups had also tested positive for Parvovirus. This is a highly contagious disease that can cause death in dogs.
“The symptoms can include blood in stool, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, depression and fever and in the most severe cases it can be fatal.
“We are desperate to find out where these puppies came from as we do not want any other animal to suffer in this way.”
Bill Kidd MSP for Anniesland is keen to trace whoever is responsible for the puppies debilitated condition.
Bill said, “If anyone has any information regarding these puppies I would urge them to come forward. Someone has caused these puppies unnecessary suffering which has already resulted in the death of a defenceless animal. The Scottish SPCA has my full support and I will be doing what I can to help this investigation.”
If anyone in the area has any information on who may have abandoned any of these puppies, they are being urged to phone the Scottish SPCA confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.
Abandoning an animal is an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Anyone found guilty of doing so can expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or life.
International Women's Day
In celebration of International Women’s Day, I am supporting the #AnyWomanAnywhere campaign.
More than 1 in 3 women experience violence in their lifetime. Violence can affect Any Woman, Anywhere - regardless of their backgrounds, social status, sexuality, faith, ethnicity or ability.
Both women and men are more likely to experience violence at the hands of men and all of this violence is unacceptable.
This violence isn’t always physical, it can be sexual harassment at work, controlling behaviour in a relationship, stalking, online abuse, spiritual, emotional and psychological abuse, and street harassment.
These forms of violence and abuse might not cause physical suffering but still cause huge harm to survivors.
Violence Against Women is not inevitable. We can all work to end violence against women. We can raise awareness that violence exists in many forms and it affects all women. And we can challenge gender inequality which leads to this violence.
HELPLINES
POLICE SCOTLAND
T: 999 – Emergency T: 101 – Non-Emergency
SCOTLAND’S DOMESTIC ABUSE AND FORCED MARRIAGE HELPLINE
Help for anyone with experience of domestic abuse or forced marriage, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues and professionals who support them
T: 0800 027 1234 – Free, confidential, 7 days, 24 hours a day E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (response within 2 days by email)
CHILDLINE
Counselling service for children and young people
T: 0800 11 11 – Free, confidential, 7 days, 24 hours a day
RAPE CRISIS SCOTLAND HELPLINE
Help for anyone affected by sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened.
T: 08088 01 03 02 - any day - 6pm - midnight. T: 0141 353 3091 if you are deaf or hard of hearing
RESPECT PHONELINE
For anyone who is concerned about their own behaviour towards their partner (male, female, in heterosexual or same-sex relationships)
T: 0808 802 4040, confidential, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) HELPLINE
Call the FGM helpline if you’re worried a child is at risk of, or has had, FGM.
T: 0800 028 3550 – Free, confidential, 7 days, 24 hours a day
AMINA: MUSLIM WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTRE
Help for women in English, Urdu, Arabic, Punjabi, Bangli and Swahili and, when required, using online interpreting.
T: 0808 801 0301 – Monday to Friday – 10am – 4pm W: www.mwrc.org.uk
Anniesland born BMXer John Buultjens at Aye Write Festival
John Buultjens, born in Whiteinch and raised in Drumchapel, will speak at the Aye Write! book festival in Glasgow on 16th March 2019. As successful BMXer his autobiography (Ride) was published in 2017 and a film, also called Ride, was released the following year detailing his life story.
More information on the Aye Write event & how to get tickets can be found here: https://www.ayewrite.com/pages/event-details.aspx?event=1/john-buultjens&utm_source=John%20Buultjens%20personal&utm_campaign=Aye%20Write%202019
Welcome
Bill is MSP for Glasgow Anniesland.
His major political interests are the development of policies to eradicate poverty, job creation, housing policy and an end to the nuclear power and weapons programmes of successive British Governments.
