Blog
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Article: Apr 4, 2021The world is on the brink of irreparable damage.
Decisions made over the course of the next ten years - probably less - will either make or break our planet.
The climate emergency is beyond dispute.
2020 began with apocalyptic wildfires in Australia, declared amongst the "worst wildlife disasters in modern history".
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Article: Apr 4, 2021It's incredibly important we increase the number of clinicians in mental health - psychiatrists and psychologists - but there's another workforce that can make it easier to access help in communities.
Mental Health Counsellors are able to tackle many of the lower level mental health issues that people experience. They can be trained quickly, which is why they can be so useful to the NHS as we put recovery first.
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Article: Feb 25, 2021Banffshire and Buchan Coast does not currently do well out of its elected parliamentary representatives . Whether one-trick Brexiteers or one-track Nationalists, these are, first and foremost, loyal footsoldiers of a Leadership whose concern is elsewhere, whether in the heartlands of England or Scotland's central belt.
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Article: Jan 19, 2021We are now in the year of a Scottish Parliamentary election, to decide on the makeup of the Holyrood Parliament. The vote is scheduled to take place on May 6, later this year. It's expected that the Parliament will be dissolved on March 25, with campaigning getting underway a day later on March 26.
Will the pandemic impact the election? It may do, in a number of ways:
First off , the poll is still expected to go ahead as planned on 6 May, according to the Scottish Government. The Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill, published on December 23, was drafted to provide powers, if needed, to conduct the election differently. Contingency options include allowing voting to take place on more than one day and an earlier deadline for postal voting.
As with previous Scottish Parliament elections there will be the option to vote by post - it's expected to be more popular due to the coronavirus pandemic, so there will be an earlier deadline for postal vote applications - 6 April rather than 20 April ( a whole month before the election rather than the usual fortnight) to give more time for processing, given the expected increase in demand.
You can register to vote by post at gov.uk. The quickest way to register is online. You need your National Insurance number to hand, and If you're a British citizen living abroad, wanting to vote in Scotland you'll need your passport, too.
Head to the Government's registration page. The process should only take about five minutes.
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Article: Nov 18, 2020By Alison Simpson
We face a crisis. Many, many, more of us are heading into old age, or caring for those who are. There's more to worry about than a few wrinkles…
Folk who all their lives have worked and contributed (in the broadest sense) to our society deserve good choices when we become frail and vulnerable.
COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses in the system - how we address both the need for strong support at home, and arrangements for respite and long term care.
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Article: Oct 10, 2020
Whether you have ever voted Liberal Democrat or not, most of us do. We live in a liberal democracy. To suggest there is no room for a genuinely liberal party poses worrying questions about where we are heading. Philosophy apart, there are urgent and relevant reasons why a strong Liberal Democrat presence in our politics is needed.
