The Crisis in the Horn of Africa

Recently the lack of coverage of the ever growing disaster in the Horn of Africa has really annoyed me. It’s typical of the society that we live in - out of sight, out of mind! I wanted to take this opportunity to bring it back to the forefront of people’s minds and to make some points on the issue.
Let’s be absolutely clear, this crisis isn’t getting any better. I watched a debate in the House of Commons on Food Security in Africa and many Members, from both sides of the house, made some very interesting points.
It’s very easy to respond to a crisis once it has hit. However, we’re not as good at preventing them. Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, said that we have a “moral responsibility to those most in need.” Frankly, I couldn’t have put it better myself. We hear of people, although thankfully they are in the minority, talking the crisis down. Andrea Leadsom, MP for South Northamptonshire, spoke about letters she has received from constituents who feel that it’s a waste of money and that “charity begins at home.” This level of ignorance is astounding. As someone who has experienced the poverty in Africa first hand, hearing statements like that really upsets me. Yes, times are hard in the UK. Yes, we face some public spending cuts and yes, one in four children in Scotland are living in poverty. Whilst in an ideal world this wouldn’t be the case, at least we have a Government who is working to tackle these issues.
In Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya a state of famine has been declared. I think the word famine is batted about too easily. A famine occurs when thirty percent of children in a country are “acutely malnourished.” So yes, things may seem difficult here in the UK, but there’s no comparison really!
This leads me to my second point. It’s a well known fact that democracies have far fewer famines than countries which don’t have democracy. Why is it then, that we aren’t taking action against the corrupt governments around the world, and particularly in Africa? Pauline Latham, MP for Mid Derbyshire and a member of the International Development Select Committee, spoke of the need to tackle corruption. Sadly, corruption exists at every level of society in many developing nations. It’s my belief that if we are ever to assist the people of East Africa then we need to ensure that their leaders, both locally and nationally, are doing everything they can to ensure that these disasters are less frequent. I use “disaster” loosely. To clarify, famines are not natural disasters. They occur as a result of both political and economic mismanagement and more importantly, human failure.
The United Nations has called this famine in the Horn of Africa “the worst in sixty years.” Sadly, there are 3.2 million people in immediate need of life saving assistance. The UN FSNAU predicts that the famine will continue until at least December 2011.
For anyone who has been to Africa, you’ll know how proud Africans are. They have a fantastic spirit and are, surprisingly, very grateful for what little they have. It’s absolutely essential that any support from the UN and NGOs are a hand up, and not a hand out. These people have their pride and should be seen as equals. Yes we may feel bad about their situations but one thing they don’t want is our pity.
Although I have focussed on the negatives, there are many positives. The people of the UK are, and always have been, extremely generous. Like I mentioned earlier, and as we all know, times are tough in the UK. However, the UK is the second largest donor to the region, behind the United States. The UK Government committed .7 % of the UKs gross national income (gni) to aid. So far, the Disasters Emergency Committee has received donations of over £45m from the British public. The World Bank has also pledged £307m. Whilst all this money will be very welcome, I don’t believe that it’s the answer. We need to educate and help nations in Africa become self sufficient. This may be a long way off but there’s no better time to start!
I’m a great believer in the old saying, “give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for the rest of his life.”

Scottish Conservative Manifesto Launch

On Monday 4th April, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie launched our manifesto for Scotland. In what was an excellent speech to party members and the press, Annabel highlighted the key points of our Common Sense policies that we want to take forward to make Scotland a better place to live.

Common Sense is the very heart of what we do both in the Scottish Parliament and elsewhere throughout the country. Indeed, the very policy implementations that have achieved in the last term of the Parliament have been driven by a Common Sense approach. 1,000 extra police officers on the streets of Scotland, being one such example. Of course in the run up to May 5th Alex Salmond and the SNP will try and fool the people of Scotland, failing to acknowledge that it was Scottish Conservative votes that were responsible for the delivery of those extra officers.A Council Tax freeze, again as a result of the Scottish Conservatives... the list really does go on. Whilst we are proud of the achievements of out MSPs in the last term, just think how much more we could achieve with more Conservative members!

In the next term of the Parliament we want to see:
A Council Tax freeze for all - for at least two years
A £200 Council Tax cut for pensioner households
Keeping 1,000 extra police to make Scotland safer
Scrapping automatic early release from jail
More health visitors for young families

Again, the list goes on... To see the Scottish Conservative Manifesto in full, go to :http://www.scottishconservatives.com/downloads/scottish-conservative-manifesto-2011.pdf

Of course the other main parties in this election will promise the electorate what they want to hear. However, only the Scottish Conservatives have been truly honest about how we'll pay for these pledges - Derek Brownlee, Conservative Finance Spokesman, launched a 50 page document outlining exactly how we'll pay for these.

Only the Scottish Conservatives have the credible plans for Scotland and I hope that you'll Vote Scottish Conservative on May 5th!

SYP Manifesto - 2011/2013

Glasgow Provan is a fantastic constituency with lots of hard working, enthusiastic young people. We’re not without our problems though. I hope that I can work with everyone in Glasgow Provan, to make our community better. If I’m elected as the Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament I will:

• Create an anti knife crime strategy with local young people
I will work with community partners and local young people to tackle the causes of knife crime. Knife crime can rip the heart out of a great community. I believe that the young people here are mature enough to tackle the issues head on and come up with an anti Knife Crime Strategy. I want to work with the community to find out what works best in deterring our young people from not only using a knife, but carrying one in the first place. A consultation would be carried out over 6 months and then an event would be heard to ensure that decision makers and local service providers know exactly how young people feel on the issues.

• Work with local young people to identify a solution to University funding
Over the last few months we’ve seen a lot of angry young people protesting about university tuition fees. The Scottish Government is working to establish a “Scottish solution” to the problem. I want to consult with the young people of Glasgow Provan on what they think this should be. It’s a very important issue and one which isn’t going away any time soon. It’s essential that young people are consulted properly and I will make sure this happens.

• Establish a Youth Volunteers Group
Volunteering is so important. Many young people across the constituency have so much to offer and I believe that the benefits of taking part in a volunteering programme would be fantastic. I would establish a database that contains the details of all the young people in the constituency who are interested in volunteering. I will then work to identify opportunities specifically related to the interests of the young people and support them in obtaining a place. Of course, the ideal situation would be that young people would be able to find paid work. However, with so few employment opportunities, it’s important that young people who are out of work use their time effectively.


I will work on many more issues and projects over my term, if I’m elected. However, these three issues will be what drive my work over the two year term. I will meet regularly with local youth groups and hold surgeries, both online and in person (if required.) As you can see, most of my work is consultative so I’m counting on the young people of Glasgow Provan to work with me to ensure that I represent them to the best of my ability. I will also encourage young people in the constituency to attend meetings with me and shadow me at events, if they wish to do so.I already have the experience as an elected Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament and I believe I’m the best person to represent the young people of Glasgow Provan on a national and international platform. I hope you will put your trust in my ability and vote for Keenan Alexander!