I'm just back from a busy couple of days fighting hard for my local ward and the rest of Argyll and Bute. I attended the latest Council administration meeting where I spoke of the importance that Islay's infrastructure is dramatically improved and made no secret of my anger about the proposed toilet closures on Islay to my fellow councillors.
I then visited constituents in Tarbert and spoke about lots of local issues including roads, pavements and housing concerns.
The following day I visited the constituency office of Donald Cameron MSP to lobby our local MSP about our crumbling local roads, slow internet, erratic mobile phone signal and asked what his office could do to help our situation from his position in the Scottish Parliament.
I then attended the latest harbour board meeting in Oban and listened to a report on the Council's Oban marina development. I also met with Argyll and Bute's policy lead for roads and amenity services Cllr Roddy McCuish and spoke at great length about the state of repair of the roads in my council ward.
I also visited a business in Oban that had just opened that day. I have no doubt that business in my council ward and across Argyll and Bute is growing well. For our local infrastructure to support this great economic growth we will need to see our money from the Scottish Government increase not decrease.
The SNP like to forget that the Union dividend they are so hell bent on getting rid of is worth up to £1750 for each person in Scotland. That very surplus that is sent north of the boarder by our UK government is just not properly getting through to our rural constituencies once placed in the hands of the incompetent Scottish Government.
Sadly with the SNP being both hopelessly urban and separation obsessed I fear that we in rural Argyll will continue to be sidelined.
Regardless of this I will as always relentlessly push for my council ward's voice to be heard and for our infrastructure to be improved.
Cllr Alastair Redman