Parliament resumes – Edinburgh MP lodges Early Day Motion – Assault & Robbery – Campaigners against domestic abuse to hold rally calling for MSP’s resignation – Cricket at the Grange –
Holyrood returns today after the summer recess, with little more than a year to go before the referendum on independence.
Business will take place in various committees this morning but this afternoon when the whole chamber convenes at 2:00pm there will be a time devoted to a motion of condolence for David McLetchie a serving MSP and former leader of the Scottish Conservatives who died last month.
Following the tributes from MSPs across all political parties the First Minister will then lay down plans for the parliamentary session from 2013 to 2014 and these will be debated tomorrow afternoon. You can watch this live on Parliament TV.
Among the written questions asked by MSPs there are a couple from Alison Johnstone about the amounts spent on cycling in the past couple of years.
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Edinburgh’s Liberal Democrat MP, Mike Crockart, has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) at Westminster calling for disgraced MSP Bill Walker to resign his seat immediately. The EDM which MPs are able to add their support to comes after Willie Rennie MSP, Liberal Democrat Leader, tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling on Mr Walker to vacate his seat.
Last week Mr Crockart wrote an open letter to the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Western urging him to back calls for the disgraced MSP Bill Walker to resign his seat immediately.
Commenting Mr Crockart said:-“Domestic abuse of any kind should not be tolerated and to allow Mr Walker to continue as a Member of the Scottish Parliament sends the wrong message about the gravity of his convictions. I felt it was appropriate to table an Early Day Motion which allows MPs to back the calls for Mr Walker to resign.
“Domestic violence and domestic abuse is a very serious issue and allowing an individual who has been convicted of 23 counts of assault to continue to sit at Holyrood is completely unacceptable.”
Mr Crockart added that he was ‘very disappointed’ that the local MSP has still not added his name to the motion saying:-“Over half of the Members of the Scottish Parliament have backed the motion; I am very disappointed that our local representative is not one of them.”
Colin Keir is the MSP for the Edinburgh Western constituency. Mr Keir has a Facebook page here where you can follow all of his appointments.
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Edinburgh Police are investigating an assault and robbery that took place in Drylaw yesterday afternoon.
The incident happened around 3.30pm at an address in Wester Dylaw Place. The victim, who is in his 50s, was alone in his house when he heard a knock at the door. On answering, he was forced back inside by three men, who robbed him of around £170 and a laptop computer. The attack left the victim with minor injuries.
Following this two of the suspects were seen running up a footpath leading to Wester Drylaw Drive.
The three suspects are all described as being white, 5ft 10ins tall, 20-to-23 years old, and wearing cotton hoodies, one grey, one black and the other an unknown colour.
Detective Inspector Stuart Harkness said:- “This was a frightening experience for the victim and we are keen to hear from anybody who has any information or recognises the description of the suspects.”
Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, or make an anonymous report through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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NUS Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid and Zero Tolerance call for action by Scottish Parliament to remove Bill Walker from Parliament
NUS Scotland Women’s Campaign, Scottish Women’s Aid and Zero Tolerance will call on Bill Walker MSP to resign at a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament at 1pm today. Organisers of the rally will also call on the Scottish Parliament to take action to remove Walker should he not immediately step down.
This joint call by Scotland’s leading campaigning organisations against domestic abuse comes as the Parliament returns from its summer recess and just days after Walker, who was convicted by a Scottish Court of 23 domestic abuse charges against three former wives and a step daughter, was quoted in press reports as stating he would not vacate his seat.
The organisers of the rally back the motion by Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, which has been signed by over half of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament: “The Parliament believes that Bill Walker MSP should vacate his seat in the parliament immediately”.
NUS Scotland Women’s Campaign, Scottish Women’s Aid and Zero Tolerance have asked members of the Scottish public young and old who oppose domestic abuse to join them in sending a clear message to Bill Walker that it is never acceptable to abuse women, and to the Parliament that it must act to remove Walker should he not step down immediately.
Stacey Devine, NUS Scotland Women’s Officer, said:
“It’s disgraceful that Bill Walker refuses to let the people of Dunfermline replace him with a representative that hasn’t been convicted of domestic abuse. The man has no shame, and needs to resign now.
“It’s deeply concerning that the Parliament has so far been unable to send Walker packing. Should Walker not resign voluntarily, the same MSPs from across the political spectrum who have rightly condemned Bill Walker’s decades-long violence against women should take immediate action to remove him from office.”
Jenny Kemp, Coordinator for Zero Tolerance, said:
“Bill Walker must resign as an MSP. Making laws and policies for Scotland is a privilege, and one that a man who’s been convicted of 23 crimes against women does not deserve.
“Perpetrators of domestic abuse are not fit to hold public office, especially in a Parliament that has been so progressive on violence against women.”
Lily Greenan, Manager of Scottish Women’s Aid, said:
“Bill Walker MSP is a serial offender against women, with 23 convictions for assault over a 30 year period. Scottish Women’s Aid believes he is therefore not suitable to hold public office, and calls on the Scottish Parliament to use any means at its disposal to remove him.
“There are also questions to be answered as to why this case was heard at summary trial. We will continue to press for these answers to ensure that all women who experience domestic abuse receive appropriate and meaningful justice from the courts.”
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Scotland take on Australia today in a one-day international at The Grange. There are still some tickets left according to the Cricket Scotland website.
Gates will open to the public from 9.45am today with all public access at Portgower Place.
Wheelchair access is also through the Portgower entrance
There will be car parking available from 9.00am, weather permitting, which will be charged at £5 a vehicle at Edinburgh Academicals ground next to Portgower place.
Catering: Food and drink will be available 9.45am until 8pm with Supreme vans situated near the stands.
Bringing alcohol inside the venue will not be permitted, but will be available to purchase through various vendors around the ground.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
