Election aftermath
When I wrote last month ‘we should cherish democracy and our right to vote’ I had no idea just how relevant my words would turn out to be. The elections were marred by voter confusion and a huge number of spoiled papers, mainly in the Scottish Parliament Election. I welcome the Electoral Commission’s announcement that one of the world's leading electoral administration experts, Ron Gould, has agreed to head the review of the Scottish elections which the Comission has been asked to carry out. There have also been big changes in local government. When I sat on the Kerley Commission which recommended the new electoral system for local government, I warned that it would be wrong to break the link between the councillor and the local ward. Now 2 large wards cover the whole of the Carrick area. I will be giving all the support I can to my two Labour colleagues, John McDowall and Sandra Goldie to help them provide as local a service as possible. Another problem with the new voting system is that the SNP who came third in number of seats won, then joined up with the Tories to determine the shape of the new Council. That’s a real problem with PR – you think you are voting for one thing and end up getting something else.

Visa granted to Burma Veteran
I have recently raised with the Home Secretary the case of Gurkha Veteran, Mr Tul Bahadur Pun VC, who was being refused permission to live in the UK. Mr Pun, a World War 2 hero, who stormed Japanese machine gun positions in Burma, has now been granted permission by the Home Office to stay. The Home Secretary reviewed his case and granted Mr Pun, who is 84, a settlement visa due to his heroic service to Britain for which he received the VC.

Madeleine McCann
One of the most poignant meetings I have attended at Westminster was my recent meeting with members of the extended family of the missing toddler Madeleine McCann. I am usually very reticent about attending public events such as this with other MPs as they are sometimes exploited to make political capital. In this case the family themselves requested the meeting as part of their campaign to keep the plight of the Madeleine McCann firmly in the public eye. Nothing would please me more than if this column was out of date by the time you read it and Madeline had been found safe and well.

New Prime Minister
By the time I write next month’s column we will have a new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. I am very proud that the next PM is to be a Scot. In the period leading up to his taking office, Gordon Brown is taking the chance to meet people and listen to their views and explain his priorities. You can find out more by visiting his website www.gordonbrownforbritain.com. There you can read all about his views on the challenges facing the country and how he will approach the job. In the section on ‘My Values’ he writes
“My parents taught me the importance of service, honesty, hard work, and treating people equally; of duty, responsibility and respect for others: that everyone has a talent, that everyone should have the chance to develop that talent and that every one of us should be challenged to make the most of their talent. My parents also taught me that we have a responsibility to help each other. These are still the values that inspire all I do.”

Out of the limelight
Later this month I will be attending one function where the MP will not be the focus of attention. Our elder daughter, Fiona, is due to be married and she will rightly be centre stage on that occasion. As I was writing about my meeting with the extended family of Madeleine McCann my thoughts turned to my own family and the forthcoming wedding. We sometimes take our families for granted and don’t appreciate just how important they are to us.