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Given that start in life, many people would ask how I came to be an MSP. Music had a key role; its power is encapsulated simply by one of Sistema’s board members, Kenny McGhee, who describes it as “transformative and life affirming”.
All that we can do is to use trusted voices to get the correct information out. MSPs are part of that mechanism, and you can help us in that environment as we fight against that misinformation.
In fact, my colleague Douglas Lumsden, who is a North East Scotland MSP, falls within that category, and last week he raised the issue with the First Minister, in the chamber.
We did not want to threaten jobs; we want to see jobs created. The constituency MSP, Brian Adam, lobbied strongly for the Arjowiggins plant—it was appropriate and quite right for him to do so—as did the company.
Secondly, as before, all ministers will have ministerial and MSP salaries frozen at the 1 April 2008 level, and law officers’ salaries are similarly frozen.
I know that some of the Conservative MSPs are fairly intelligent—that might or might not include Mr Fraser—and must therefore understand that income must equal expenditure.
Banks and Governments share a responsibility to make sure that change comes in a way and at a pace that leaves no one behind. As MSPs, we have an ability to impact on that.