Dave Thompson MSP

As I write this Notebook the main item on the news is the revelation that Liberal Democrat Chief Treasury Secretary, David Laws, has claimed £40,000 for renting a bedroom from his partner, James Lundie despite the fact that, since 2006, parliamentary rules have banned MPs from leasing accommodation from a partner.

The disclosure is embarrassing to the Lib-Con Government as it comes just days after Laws joined Tory Chancellor George Osborne in promising public spending curbs that would send shockwaves through Whitehall. Isn't there something distasteful about a millionaire MP seeming to delight in cutting public services, whilst claiming everything he can from the public purse, quite possibly against the rules and the law.

This revelation of greed at the heart of the Lib-Con Government, the fact that 23 of their 29 Cabinet Secretaries are millionaires and that most of them went to Oxford or Cambridge, including Mr Alexander the Scottish Secretary, doesn't inspire confidence that the views of ordinary people will be listened to, never mind understood by them.

The LibDems also appear to be trying to wriggle of the hook on their election promises on the basis that they are involved in new politics and nothing they promised is valid, as they are now beholden to the Tories. Whilst this is true to a certain extent I don't remember them extending the same leeway to our Minority SNP Government.

Despite our Minority status the SNP Government has delivered on 64 of our 95 manifesto promises in just three years and we hope to get a few more through before the Scottish election next May. One that we couldn't deliver on was cancelling the £500 million Edinburgh Tram project because the LibDems joined Labour and the Tories to vote it through. However, coalition doesn't stop the LibDems from insisting that certain of their main policies must be implemented as part of the deal. So, what about some of the campaigns they have waged in the Highlands and Islands in recent elections?

Why didn't they secure real action on fuel prices in the Highlands and Islands (not a wishy-washy pilot to kick it into the long grass), or on writing off Highland Council's housing debt, or on Scottish Parliamentary Boundary changes (apart from the crazy new boundaries the name is to be Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch with no mention of Dingwall, the Black Isle or Loch Ness which have 45% of the electorate - Highland MP Alexander is about to sign this off as Scottish Secretary!), or on securing our Post Offices?

Wait a minute, they have decided to take action on Post Offices. Kennedy, Alexander and Thurso are going to part-privatise the PO despite all their rhetoric over the years about protecting small rural Post Offices. I believe that even part-privatisation would spell the beginning of the end for Royal Mail, and open the door to job losses, a deterioration in the working conditions of postal workers, and service cuts which will lead to the loss of local Post Offices.

While Labour was forced to shelve the exact same proposals, now the Lib-Con government are set to pick it up and push on with this crazy plan. Postal services must remain in public hands and I will continue to fight for the retention of the publicly-owned Royal Mail.

I am conscious that I have spent far too much space on the Lib-Cons this week so would just like to let you know that I have moved to the Justice Committee after 3 years on the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee and two on the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee. I have also stepped down from my post as a Depute Whip and taken up the post of Parliamentary Liaison Officer in support of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

Finally, I have taken the opportunity to base all 3 of my staff in Dingwall instead of having one in Edinburgh. I hope this will help me offer an even better service to my Highlands and Islands Constituents and look forward to serving you for many years to come.