Green for Go

I attended a really enjoyable meeting in Lanark last night organised by the Green Party in Lanarkshire - to discuss Equal Pay and Freedom of Information (FOI).

I didn't really know what to expect, but as it turned out there were over 30 people present on the night - which was an impressive turnout by any standards.

I think it's fair to say that no one had a good word to say about South Lanarkshire Council - or the local trade unions for that matter - although this all contributed to a lively debate about recent developments at the UK Supreme Court and the Council's approach for serious talks about a possible settlement of all the outstanding A4ES equal pay claims.

I was struck by how angry and betrayed people feel by a Council which is supposed to look after their interests, how they were kept in the dark for so long - until the UK Supreme Court finally lifted the veil of secrecy which has kept the Council's pay arrangements hidden from public scrutiny all these years.  

Yet despite an air of evident disbelief that a Labour led council has behaved this way - without challenge from supposedly independent and highly paid senior officials9or the unions) - the people present last night were determined to see things through to the end and make their voices heard.

So, I fully expect local councillors, MSPs and MPs to hear increasingly from local voters and  constituents - demanding to know what their political representatives are doing to hold South Lanarkshire Council to account.

The Green Party in Lanarkshire are happy to play their part and can be contacted via the following web link: www.lanarkshiregreens.org

I came away really buoyed up by the evening's events and a peculiar thing happened on my way out of as I left building (Harry Smith Centre) - the following piece of music was being played over the public address system -  'In the Arms of an Angel' by the Canadian singer songwriter Sarah McLaughlin.

Now the reason this song stopped me in my tracks had nothing to do with Equal Pay of Freedom of Information - it's because the music was played at the funeral of my dear Mum and the track was specially chosen by my young brother, Kevin, who sadly died in a motorbike crash in Bolivia last year.

"What a strange coincidence", I said to myself at the time, yet another bad omen for South Lanarkshire Council - because with mysterious powers like that at work there's simply nowhere left for this rogue Council to hide.       

In the Arms of an Angel by Sarah McLaughlin