Views
Wider implications of Middle East crisis - for The Inverness Courier
THE appalling events in the Middle East seem to get worse with every day that passes. I visited Beirut last October, for a friend’s wedding, and was impressed by the energy with which the people of that city were reconstructing it after the years of war.
There was a sense of optimism about the future, and Lebanon was a fledgling democracy which as democratic values took hold would have been a genuine example to rest of the region. Now all of that has been destroyed by the cycle of senseless violence and disproportionate response.
There is no doubt that Hezbollah and the other terrorist groups deserve to be unreservedly condemned for their heinous acts, and that Israel has the right to defend itself. But Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are disproportionate and break the fundamental principle of international law that collective punishment should not be taken against innocent civilians. At Prime Minister’s questions before Parliament went into recess last week, Ming Campbell pressed Tony Blair to take an even-handed approach to the behaviour of both sides, but he was depressingly unwilling to do so.
This crisis has major implications closer to home, too. Already, we are seeing the petrol price rise as a result and the longer it goes on, the greater the effect on the local economy will be.
A few weeks ago I proposed a motion in Parliament to allow a lower level of fuel duty to be charged in rural areas. The scheme — already being followed in France, Greece, and Portugal — allows governments to mitigate the higher costs of fuel by reducing the amount of duty paid.
Sadly, the plan was defeated because Labour and Tory politicians refused to support it. The Treasury minister John Healey even compared the higher cost of fuel in the Highlands to the higher cost of a pint of beer in London. This insulting comment ignores the fact that in most parts of the Highlands a car is a necessity — not a luxury — and that motoring costs are a higher share of our spending than anywhere else in Britain. I will keep fighting for a fairer deal for Highland motorists.
WELFARE REFORM
The last piece of legislation debated in the House of Commons before the summer recess was on welfare reform — as party spokesperson on work and pensions I am leading on this for the Liberal Democrats.
The basic idea behind this reform is a good one — that society should play a much more active role in enabling people who have been out of work for reasons of sickness or disability to find work. It is a disgrace that the 2.7 million people on incapacity benefit across Britain have been neglected by both Tory and Labour governments for so long.
There is a lot of evidence that the right training and support targeted at the needs of each individual — including help to manage medical conditions and to build self-confidence — many people who have been excluded from the jobs market for a long time can get back to work.
But I am concerned that the government’s proposals are short on detail, short on funding, and rely for delivery on a department under massive pressure. According to my calculations, the £360 million allocated to rolling out the new package of help is only half of what’s needed.
We need to make much better use of the voluntary and private sector in delivering the help that people need. The enormous success of the SHIRLIE project in Inverness for example — or Working Links in Glasgow — shows just what can be achieved.
This aim of welfare reform is vitally important for the individuals concerned and for society as a whole. Work is the best route
out of poverty and the workplace is a vital part of many people’s social networks too. This matters to us all, not just for moral reasons but also because with an ageing population we will have fewer people of working age, and so as many of those as is possible need to be economically active. Of course not everyone will be able to work but the fact that one million disabled people say they want to work shows just what enormous untapped potential there is.
SUMMER RECESS
Parliament went into recess last week, and returns in early October. I am looking forward to spending much of this time in the Highlands, and will use it to spend time in many communities as possible. The times and places will be advertised in the Courier. If you want to get in touch you can always e-mail me on [email protected] or call my office on 01463 711280.
Posted on: 01/08/2006
