SO much of what we see and hear about Parliament seems to involve international financial crises, our involvement or response to wars or dealing with immeasurable acts of self-harm like Brexit .
Of course these things matter, not just to me but to the thousands of constituents who write to me about them. I can understand, however, why some might begin to think that politicians – and in particular MPs – are disconnected from the people they represent. So much of what is reported on our work seems so far removed from our constituents.
That’s why I have always been very conscious to put a lot of effort into things that directly affect and therefore really matter to people, not just in Glasgow North East, but the whole of Scotland.
My campaign against energy suppliers charging people on prepayment meters more than everyone else was thought to be an impossible task and I admit, it was a massive amount of work and required the persistence of the proverbial dog with a bone. But it was worth it because now daily standing charges are mostly lower on a prepayment meter and the cost per unit of energy is mostly lower. If you’re on a prepayment meter, you might not be feeling the benefit yet but that is because we are still in this cost of living crisis. The important thing is that you are no longer being charged more than others simply for being on a low income.
Listening to people, really hearing what it is that is troubling them, and then acting on it with goals in mind and a plan of how to achieve it. That might sound like a crazy idea in a world where it seems that issues are only ever viewed cynically with an eye on how they can be wielded in a never-ending culture war.
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But the best way to regain trust and confidence in politics is to deliver for people on tangible issues that impact their daily lives. My inbox has been inundated recently with complaints and concerns over the proliferation of off-road vehicles such as scramblers and quadbikes in residential areas of the city.
Off-road vehicles such as quad bikes. Should they be registered? Many of my constituents are suffering because of the improper and anti social use of them. So I'm taking bill to parliament. Here's my 2 minute video explaining what's happening & why I'd like to hear from you. pic.twitter.com/m7nBxiAZoy
— Anne McLaughlin SNP MP (@AnneMcLaughlin) April 5, 2024
This might seem trivial if you have not been impacted by their nuisance, but the complaints range from high noise levels and vehicles being driven at alarming speeds to parents being too scared to let their children play outside because some of these vehicles are being driven at speeds of up to 60mph and they are cutting across pavements or careering through play parks. A golf course in my constituency that’s renowned for being accessible to people on low incomes is regularly wrecked by quad bikes and it is simply not fair.
The levels of anti-social behaviour and intimidation caused by the use of these unregistered vehicles is leaving people terrified in their own communities and must be addressed. There have also been lethal consequences to their improper use with both pedestrians and the riders themselves being killed. It was actually meeting a constituent grieving his father after he died because of the alleged improper use of an off-road vehicle that prompted me to try to bring forward legislation.
I was one of 20 MPs successful in the ballot to have a Private Members’ Bill this year and I decided this was an opportunity to represent those constituents and try to get something on statute that would give them a bit of peace. My Off-Road Vehicles (Registration) Bill is listed on the order paper to have its second reading on April 19.
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I want the Government to mandate the registration of these vehicles so that they can be easily identifiable and also more easily traced when stolen.
It should not be possible to purchase a motorised vehicle that can reach speeds in excess of 50mph or 60mph with no record of who owns it, who it is registered to and who is insured to use it.
Their growth in popularity is also leading to a rise in theft and organised criminal activity surrounding their supply. With no way to easily identify or trace the vehicles, it becomes very difficult for police to combat this and just makes it all the more enticing a prospect for criminals.
Some of the opposition that has been raised in the past to this idea has been around the imposition this could put on the likes of farmers who may use quite a few different vehicles on their land. While I have no wish to add unnecessary administrative burdens to hard-working farmers, the free-for-all that is leaving my constituents terrorised in their own streets can’t go on unaddressed. There are also city dwellers who use them properly and legitimately but the same can be said for cars and nobody argues that we should not register a car. I’m not a fan of red tape but I am a very enthusiastic fan of my constituents being able to live their lives in peace.
I will be seeking cross-party support for an issue which really should be above party politics, it’s about saving lives and ensuring that people can feel safe and secure leaving their own homes.
With all of the endless dramas that seem to play out at Westminster, it is important that we are seen to also develop legislation that will make a positive impact on the lives of our constituents. It is only by making the political process both accessible and relevant to the everyday lives of ordinary people that we can begin to rebuild trust. Trust that was fractured under Tony Blair, has been eroded to almost zero by Boris and his chums and will, sadly, as we can see from the almost daily policy U-turns of today’s “Labour” Party, not be improved by the election of Keir Starmer as prime minister.
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