Constituency

In response to UK government’s recent announcements that it will begin sending people claiming asylum to Rwanda, and also that it will open a new asylum accommodation centre in Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, Alison Thewliss MP, Chair of the APPG on Immigration Detention, has made the following statement: 

“The plans introduced by the UK government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda from Britain are utterly appalling. 

“The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has already condemned these plans on ethical and legal grounds, while senior Home Office officials say there’s no evidence the arrangment will provide value for money. There are serious questions of transparency and how the Home Office can ever be held to account for what happens to the individuals it sends to Rwanda. But this is just another example of the Government abandoning its responsibility to offer sanctuary and support to those fleeing persecution. 

“My recent visit to Napier Barracks allowed me to see first-hand how profoundly unsuitable and dehumanising such sites are for asylum seekers. The dilapidated former barracks used by the Government to house asylum seekers are inadequate, lacking in facilities and people there struggle to get access to lawyers and adequate healthcare. It is frightening to imagine what a facility located in another country thousands of miles away from scrutiny will be like.

“I would have hoped that the Tory Government would learn from the comments made after our visit. Yet despite the warnings given to them about the conditions in Napier, the government is proceeding with plans at Linton-on-Ouse. With other members of the APPG, I have repeatedly called for Napier Barracks to close and for the UK government not to open any further similar sites. I reiterate that call today.

“It is time for the government to get a grip and stop with these tactics to divert the attention away from the chaos within this Government. Thousands of human lives are at risk here, they must be protected. During the worst cost of living crisis to date, the Government should be focusing on allowing all people to have enough money to feed themselves, rather than pandering to the dog whistle politics of the far right.”

Alison Thewliss, Shadow Chancellor for the SNP and MP for Glasgow Central, has launched a blistering attack on the Home Office as Glasgow Central constituents are left waiting years for a decision.

Thewliss described how calls to her constituency office are increasing by the day – with the calls primarily relating to Home Office issues.

A number of constituents in the Glasgow Central constituency have described how they have been waiting years for a decision, with no sign of one to come.

But Thewliss has called on the Government to act now on the failings of the Home Office.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The attitude of the Home Office towards asylum cases all over the UK is benign neglect. I have had constituents in tears over the phone, asking why the Home Office seem to be forgetting about their cases and leaving them helpless.

“Its record to date has been utterly awful. With the war in Ukraine going to cause an increase in those claiming asylum in the UK, it is deeply concerning to think that the situation with the Home Office is only going to get worse in the months ahead.

“It sickens me to think that there are people in my constituency who feel like they are being forgotten or mistreated at the hands of the Home Office. In a country like Scotland, who takes pride in being so open and welcoming, this is not on.

“This mistreatment of citizens is completely unacceptable. There are systematic failures within this Government which are causing great danger to the lives of vulnerable people all across the UK, and it must end.

“If the Government does not act now on these failings, we could be on the brink of a systematic catastrophe within the Home Office.”

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has welcomed nominations for the upcoming Pride of Scotland awards.

The awards, set to take place in June, will be celebrating the unsung heroes of Scotland and will be attended by dozens of the biggest stars from the worlds of show business and sport.

Speaking about the awards, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The Pride of Scotland awards is such a great opportunity to nominate someone who has gone above and beyond in life.

“Every year, the award night allows for the unsung heroes of Scotland to get praised for the work they have done, and the public acknowledgement that they deserve.

“There will be so many people across Scotland who have put in incredible work during the pandemic and these awards are a chance to nominate these individuals.

“It would be great to see as many people as possible from the Glasgow Central constituency being nominated for the awards.”

To nominate a special someone for a Pride of Scotland award, all you have to do is provide your name, a contact number and a short paragraph about the nominee and why you’re nominating them by emailing Florence Freeman at florence.freeman@reachplc.com, or contacting 07983712384.

Alison Thewliss, the SNP’s Shadow Chancellor and MP for Glasgow Central, has launched a blistering attack on the Tory-led Nationality and Borders Bill.

The Bill has reached the amendments stage in the House of Commons after many debates on the subject.

Among many amendments, Conservative MPs voted to reinstate proposals which would give the Government powers to strip people of their British citizenship.

Peers had voted to remove the clause from the Nationality and Borders Bill, but the Commons voted 318 to 223, majority 95, to disagree with the Lords.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The Nationality and Borders Bill is deeply damaging to this country. Scotland takes pride in being a country that is open to refugees, but this new bill would make this all but impossible.

“Constituents all across Glasgow Central have contacted me to show their anger towards the bill, yet this Tory Government seem to care only about their narrow ideology rather than the views of refugees, asylum seekers, and those who wish to welcome them.

“I am proud to be amongst those who opposed this cruel bill and share my thanks to those constituents who wrote to me about it – not one was in support of the Nationality and Borders Bill.

“Refugees in this country should be welcome – not shut out. But this bill would give the Tories the powers to do exactly that.

“I call on the UK Government again, not least in the face of the ongoing crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine, to scrap this cruel bill completely.”

See Alison speak in the House of Commons about this bill below:

The cost of living crisis is “worsening by the day” as new figures reveal the impact on the Glasgow Central constituency.

The study, released by 38 Degrees and Survation, analyses the impact of the cost of living crisis specifically on Glasgow Central and gives a snapshot of the national impact.

Figures released as part of the report show that 80% of people have experienced more expensive energy bills, compared to last year.

The SNP’s Shadow Chancellor and MP for Glasgow Central, Alison Thewliss, has called on Rishi Sunak to use tomorrow’s Spring statement to “right the wrongs” of his Government by providing further support.

Commenting, the SNP’s Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The cost of living crisis is worsening by the day. Families in the Glasgow Central constituency are being forced into Tory-made poverty – with no sign of support to come.

“The time is now for change. Tomorrow’s Spring statement is a chance for the Chancellor to right the wrongs of this cost of living crisis, by finally providing an emergency package of support.

“This package must include turning the £200 energy loan into a grant, reversing the cruel cut to Universal Credit, delivering a Real Living Wage, and matching the Scottish Government’s game-changing Scottish Child Payment UK-wide.

“The Spring statement provides the platform for the Chancellor to admit the Government’s failings in this crisis – and correct them immediately.

“If the Chancellor continues to shut his eyes and hope for the best, then more families across the Glasgow Central constituency will be forced into a lifetime of poverty.”

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has called upon the people of Glasgow to nominate their favourite taxi driver ahead of the Parliamentary Taxi and Private Hire Awards.

The nominations are set to close on Friday 18th March and the winning taxi driver will be celebrated in Parliament in an event the following week.

Speaking about the awards, Thewliss has praised the awards and asked for nominations for your favourite local cabbie.

Alison Thewliss said:

“I’m delighted to be able to welcome any nominations for your favourite Glasgow Central cabbie ahead of the Parliamentary Taxi and Private Hire Awards.

“Cabbies all across the city have always been reliable, but this is a chance to highlight the true unsung heroes of the taxi industry.

“This would be another way to celebrate those who do so much for the Glasgow Central constituency.

“With nominations closing on Friday 18th March, any nominations before then would be very welcome.

“To nominate your favourite cabbie, please contact me via email or on any of my social media channels.”

On International Womens Day, Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, has urged the Government to go further to support breastfeeding mothers.

Speaking in her capacity as the chair of the APPG on Infant Feeding, Thewliss will lead a debate in Parliament today calling for new policy to support new mothers to make informed decisions regarding their child’s nutrition in the face of unclear messaging and manipulative advertising by formula producers.

Thewliss has been a champion for new policies that encourage breastfeeding, such as urging football clubs across Scotland to declare their stadiums breastfeeding friendly.

The debate is expected to commence at 16:30 and can be watched on parliament.tv.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The debate today is a great opportunity to highlight the many challenges which breastfeeding mothers face.

“A recent report by the World Health Organisation shows that more than half of pregnant women and new parents have been targeted by formula marketing.

“I hope the debate today will be a chance to highlight the findings of the report by WHO – drawing attention to the predatory marketing of formula milk all over the world.

“The formula milk industry is worth $55 billion globally, and this report shows that profits are made from unethical marketing targeting new parents at a vulnerable time.

“The implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in the UK would be a huge step towards ensuring that proper, impartial information is provided to new parents.

“The Government should listen to the debate today and ensure that action is taken sooner rather than later to tackle the aggressive marketing of formula in the UK.”

Alison Thewliss, SNP MP for Glasgow Central, has today called on the Chancellor to use next week’s budget as an opportunity to lift the ‘benefits freeze’.

Thewliss, who is the SNP’s shadow spokesperson on Treasury, called it “appalling” that individuals and families who are struggling financially are being forced into poverty by the UK Government’s refusal to allow social security benefits to keep pace with inflation.

Generally, working-age benefits including Working and Child Tax Credits, and Employment Support Allowance (ESA), would increase in line with the annual rate of inflation. Instead however, the UK Government has actively chosen to restrict these benefits since 2015. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has previously estimated that the measure will push half a million families over the poverty line by 2020.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

“The callousness of this Tory government never ceases to shock me. It is truly appalling that they have presided over a freeze on working-age benefits for hundreds of thousands of people across the country, while living costs have increased.

“It seems that the UK Government will pursue a budget surplus at any cost, and if that means forcing thousands of families below the poverty line, then so be it. This is purely ideological and cruel, and it must stop.

“The Tories have rightfully received harsh scrutiny on their shambolic Universal Credit policy, but the benefit freeze could potentially be even more damaging to low-income families.

“In September this year, inflation stood at 2.4%, meaning that everything is 2.4% more expensive than it was 12 months ago. The Institute of Fiscal Studies has estimated that this will translate to a £150 shortfall in household budgets over a 12 month period, leading to families being up to £800 a year worse off by 2020.

“Theresa May has the audacity to say that austerity is over. It certainly isn’t in my constituency.

“This government has form when it comes to balancing the books on the backs of low-earners, but to perpetuate a benefits freeze – particularly against the backdrop of the Brexit shambles – would be particularly malevolent. I urge the Chancellor to lift the freeze, and to give ordinary people a break”.