Dave Thompson MSP

I and Ian Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye, and Lochaber, have jointly submitted to the Consultation on Provisions for a Future Islands Bill and have called for a New Council and Constituency for Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber.

As I have mentioned previously, Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber is an Islands and Mountainous Coastal Region, suffering from all the problems of connectivity that the three main island groups do. Therefore, I believe there is a strong case for Skye, Lochalsh and Lochaber to have its own Council and Scottish Parliamentary Constituency, with the same status as the three main Island groups, of Orkney, Shetland, and Na h-Eileanan an lar.

At this stage, I intend to speak with my colleagues, and indeed the Scottish Government, to see if there is any mileage in the proposal, if not for this term, then as a consideration going forward, as part of a wider Scotland-wide review into council and constituency boundaries.

I recently ordered an eco-friendly electric car in an effort to do my bit, however small, for the environment and I am looking forward to collecting it in the coming weeks. There are a number of “fast” (22kw) and “rapid” (50kw) charge points in the Highlands but we need more, particularly “rapid” ones as “fast” charge points take several hours to charge a car when a “rapid” takes half an hour to an hour.

So it was apt timing that I was able to utilise a Rural Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment (RACCE) Committee to highlight that if transport emissions are to be significantly reduced then crucial transport issues must be addressed.

I asked the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod, to consider installing more rapid charge points in rural areas as in the Highlands, in particular, there are not enough. I am grateful to the Minister for agreeing to write to the Minister for Transport and the Islands, Derek Mackay, to relay my thoughts on the matter, including my view that there should be better coordination and mapping of where the charge points actually are.

I am grateful to the Minister for agreeing to write to the Minister for Transport and the Islands, Derek Mackay, to relay my thoughts on the matter, including my view that there should be better coordination and mapping of where the charge points actually are.

The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment (RACCE) Committee, of which I am a member, has received all its evidence at Stage 1 of the Land Reform Bill and is preparing its report. Following the report's publication in December, the bill will be debated in parliament some time in the New Year, which I look forward to being part of.

I am looking forward to attending and speaking at the opening of the Sunart Hydro on Saturday 28th of November above Strontian. The Sunart Renewables project launched on 3rd October 2014, as part of a drive to raise money for a community hydro-electric scheme, so it will be great to be part of seeing that vision realised.

Polls continue to show that the SNP remains on course to win a second historic landslide in next May's Holyrood election.

The most recent one shows the SNP is still significantly ahead in folk’s voting intentions for the Scottish Elections in 2016 and that the Conservatives have gained ground. The SNP polled 50% in the Constituency vote, 20% for labour, with the support for the Conservatives up six points to 18%. The Scottish Liberal Democrats stand at 7%.

An earlier one from TNS also backed this trend showing strong support for the SNP. This poll suggested that 58% intend to back the SNP in the constituency vote, which is up two points on last month, Labour polled 24%, the Conservatives 12% and the Liberal Democrats struggling at 4%. This is astonishing polling for SNP after two terms in Government, but we must never be complacent, especially when the conservatives are on the ascendancy, which is why I will be fighting hard for every vote in the lead up to the Scottish Elections in 2016 and why the SNP will always stand up for Scotland.