Commenting on the announcement that the Udny Community Trust Company has been granted a Big Lottery Fund’s investing in Communities for a £269,000 Growing Community Assets grant for their Community Wind Turbine project, the MP for Udny, Malcolm Bruce said:

“I have written to all at the Udny Community Trust to congratulate them on this significant award and I look forward to seeing the community wind turbine project up and running in the course of the year. This project is likely to benefit individual residents and community groups alike as the community will not only be looking to invest in a wind turbine that will generate renewable electricity that will be sold to the national grid, it will also seek to create a wide range of community initiatives and a local energy awareness programme.”

Aberdeenshire Councillor and Liberal Democrat campaigner Paul Johnston has echoed the views of Lib Dem shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP.  ” Here in the North East of Scotland, the growth is only just evident and is very fragile.  If it were not for strongish oil prices, the local ecomony would still be in recession.  It is vital that the economy remains with adequate liquidity.” Said Paul.  “While government spending needs to be under control there also needs to be caution that dogma over the need for drastic spending reductions does not lead to decsions that throw the UK economy back in to recession”

Paul’s comments followed the comments on the growth figures by Vince Cable MP,

“With the Government stimulus largely coming to an end last December it is highly likely growth will continue to be weak for some time,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor.

Responding to the news that the UK economy grew by 0.3% in the final three months of last year, faster than had been previously estimated, Vince Cable said: “While it is welcome news that the economy has grown by more than had been previously estimated, the British economy is still weak. And with the Government stimulus largely coming to an end last December it is highly likely growth will continue to be weak for some time.

“This news underlines again the folly of rushing into rapid cuts which could push the economy back into recession and inflict further structural damage on the UK, making it harder to sustain our credit rating and creating an even larger budget deficit.

“Decisions about the speed and timing of tackling the deficit should be based on the state of the economy, not political dogma.

“If the public and markets are to have confidence in the political parties, Labour and the Tories must follow the Liberal Democrat lead and demonstrate a credible plan for when and how the deficit will be tackled and where the cuts will come from.”

Gordon MP Malcolm Bruce is lending his support to “The Big Swap” and Fairtrade Fortnight and is encouraging his constituents to take part. This year’s event will run from 22 February until 7 March.Mr Bruce is a long-standing supporter of the Fairtrade scheme, which ensures that producers in developing countries are paid a minimum guaranteed price for their goods. In return, producers agree to maintain employment and environmental standards.

As chairman of the Parliamentary International Development Committee, Mr Bruce has supported the work of the Fairtrade Foundation in assisting producers in developing countries. He oversaw the publication of the committee’s 2007 report on Fair trade which encouraged retailers to implement a labelling scheme identifying how much individual producers would receive from the sale of their products.

During this year’s event, organisers want people to change their shopping habits and swap to Fairtrade products where they are available. Mr Bruce has co-sponsored a Parliamentary motion by fellow Liberal Democrat MP Michael Moore in support of Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 and is encouraging all of his constituents to consider taking part in ‘The Big Swap’.

He said: “When the Fairtrade movement was founded, the only product available was a single chocolate bar. Since then, the range and availability of Fairtrade goods has grown to the extent that global Fairtrade sales reached £712 million in 2008.”

“How we shop has a significant impact on the lives of people working within the developing world. By choosing Fairtrade we directly assist families and communities in their struggle out of poverty.”

“The North East has played its part in supporting Fairtrade and in recent years, I’ve been proud to see Aberdeen, Ellon, Inverurie and Mid-Formartine all achieve Fairtrade status.”

“Fairtrade products are available from many shops and I encourage all constituents to take part in this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight.”

Says it all really..

EU/Norway Agreement Welcomed

An Aberdeenshire Councillor welcomed the EU/Norway long term agreement over Mackerel.  The agreement along with 2010 reciprocal fishing possibilities is understood to bring stability to the industry.

Paul Johnston, Leader for the Democratic Independent Group of Councillors on Aberdeenshire Council said: “The possibility of improved stability for all the fleets fishing this migratory stock has to be welcomed. The efforts by Scottish and other fisherman to also practice long term sustainable practices in this fishery and going for MSC certification, demonstrate that we are heading in the right direction in terms of common fisheries management in North East Atlantic waters.”

“Improved fisheries management, with more stable and sustainable fisheries will improve prospects for onshore food industry jobs, with the emphasis on quality, we can see better returns for processors and the communities that rely on the industry” said The Lib Dem supporting Independent Councillor.

I was rather taken aback to be told I was nominated. I was gob-smacked to find out after a short period, that I had got into the top ten of Scottish Politicians blogs. And me a dyslexic too.

Spell checkers don’t help pompous dyslexics like me, but while the whole article makes little sense, at least the words are understandable by themselves.

Do I have anything I say that justifies this accolade. Frankly I really don’t know. You, dear reader, are the judge of that. I find it very hard to write anything, as what appears on the paper or screen bares little relation to the thoughts in my head. I re-write and re write. Or should I say mangle. It always ends up as a pedantic long winded porridge of words and phrases without grammar.

My politics lecturer at University he is STILL there once wrote at the bottom of one of my essays: “You write as though English was your second language” Cutting – as I can barely cope with the language I have.

Well to be in a blog award is very probably nothing to do with the stuff ‘wot I rote’. If you are in the eye of the storm alongside a small band of Councillors, with the temerity to question the herd instinct of support of a certain D. Trump esquire, then people might take a wee peek at the web pages.

What I have found about the whole episode is that to stand in opposition or support of something, you have passion about – against the prevailing wind of power politics – can be liberating to the mind. It has reminded me of why it is important to be a radical. To go to the roots of things to question and seek the change if required.

Last night I was at a Lib Dem informal Burns supper. My attendance at such things offends some former group colleagues on my Council. But I was welcome there despite that. We ended – as I think all good Liberal events should – with the singing of ‘The Land’ Liberator songbook in hand I sang the verses and hoped the assembly of members joined in the Chorus. We finished with the observation that we were a lot more radical a hundred years ago.

The blog awards are a symptom. Because of the ‘wars’ I am radicalised to the notion of justice, fairness and Liberal values as well as protection of people, the environment and a sustainable future. I am forced to spew forth what I can in the passion that is the storm around Aberdeenshire. I am conscious I could be horribly wrong. But I am conscious as well that I might be uncomfortably nearer to the truth than some think.

But dear readers, you will be the judge of that.

An Aberdeenshire Councillor has expressed huge disappointment that once again, Aberdeenshire Council’s Provost refused to debate important motions that backs local MSP Mike Rumbles and could help many Aberdeenshire families.  Councillor Paul Johnston was seeking to get support for Lib-Dem MSP Mike Rumbles bid for a boiler scrappage scheme in Scotland.

“Despite it being a genuine late issue for debate because of an impending motion to the Scottish Parliament it is ruled out of order. This Provost does not have to give an explanation and cannot be challenged. ”

“There is a very important reason we need to pressure the Scottish government over a boiler scrappage scheme. There is good support for this in the Scottish Parliament and money has been allocated to Scotland from the Barnett formula as a consequence of spending commitments to do similar things in England. So there is no real excuse for lack of money. The government needs to be persuaded that it should do a sensible and practical scheme rather than just use the extra money within the pet schemes of the SNP government.”

“Real people within real problems can benefit from any scrappage scheme. Potentially 12,000 households could qualify for this and many jobs can be sustained while at the same time saving money for hard-pressed families. It helps us meet the challenges of climate change so it’s a complete win-win situation.  Its a pity the Provost thinks it’s not worth doing”

“if we are to represent our constituents effectively we have to be aware of these issues and as a Council press government to take the best decisions which meet the needs of Aberdeenshire residents.”

“After a period of severe cold weather, many more vulnerable lower income families will have heavy costs of extra heating. Mike Rumbles MSP is right that this is something that will directly help them in the future and be of most use in colder areas like ours. Yet the Government are clinging to the cash. They need to stop dithering and commit to a boiler scrappage scheme.”

An Aberdeenshire Councillor, Paul Johnston, is seeking the Council’s urgent support for a campaign to persuade the Scottish government to introduce a boiler scrappage scheme in Scotland similar to one very recently announced south of the border.Councillor Johnston has submitted an emergency notice of motion to get the Council to pressure First Minister Alex Salmond to introduce a scheme in Scotland where up to 12,000 homes may qualify for grants to get more efficient and better heating boilers.

“Aberdeenshire, with lower average temperatures would be a big beneficiary from improved efficient boilers and a scheme such as this would not just reduce our carbon emissions, but create and sustain jobs in plumbing and manufacture.” said Paul.

“Aberdeenshire Council should be supporting the attempts by Lib Dem Mike Rumbles MSP to have this scheme and support the many lower income families who could well benefit significantly from lower heating costs. Recent cold weather suggests this would be a welcome boost for saving money and fuel, helping climate change and boosting jobs”

Councillor Johnston requires the approval of the Provost to introduce the motion and then the support of the Council.

It is a good moment in time to point those who cannot see the importance of adapting and working towards not just climate change, but sustainability and show them that both large and small agricultural businesses (because that is what wine businesses are) can come together to present a way forward.

Certification has been gradually gaining ground in the eyes of consumers for judging the environmentally friendly product that they wish to purchase. The Marine Stewardship Council, for example, has pioneered certified sustainable seafood with a certification process for Fisheries and an Eco label scheme. Now there is a significant attempt for a sector of the wine industry.

The Californian Sustainable Wine Growing Alliance (CSWA) has emerged from small boutique wineries, small grape growers and all sizes up to the big giants of the California wine industry such as Constellation Wines and E and J Gallo.

What is different about this is that it is an industry led organisation, from the roots up. It is not a bureaucratically imposed certification system which does not take into account the practicalities of the industry. It has enough wineries on board to make it work.

All the certification systems will take a time to prove themselves. It is not certain that every initiative will succeed. But it looks as though this one has all the hallmarks of success.

The potential is there for Californian wine certified as sustainable to have a serious competitive advantage with consumers.  It is consumers that are driving many of the practical applications of sustainable practices in agriculture. I certainly recall, the advantage that Fetzer Brothers had with their organic wines at a time when getting wine that is both organic and “commercial” was not always easy. The wider issue of sustainability is in a similar position now.

I know that my wine can be ‘played around with’. It is part of the art of the winemaker to express their ability through changing the flavours of wine by subtle alterations to the process. Ageing in barrels being the most obvious.

I expect wine makers to want to try to be sustainable, to alter their practices to produce better products. Making a wine sustainable does not in itself improve its quality, but making wine in the certain way often indicates the philosophy of the winemaker - which is driving them to make better wine. Biodynamics for example, may not always produce significant improvements in the quality or flavour of the wine but it is part of a wide base of actions to holistically make something better. You can view sustainability in the same broad way.

But I can go out and buy a good wine now, some of which will be produced by organic, biodynamic, Fairtrade or sustainable practices. But what I will know from a certification process is that there are methods of indicating if the wine maker is ‘making the grade’. It helps me understand if the wine maker is working in the right direction. It allows the wine maker to ‘move on’ to the improvements in flavour, quality and taste within the framework of ‘best practice for the survival of the planet’.

Certification can work. It can also fail to meet its objectives. But this is the best big effort I have seen so far. It is not that there is an absence of certification for good practices elsewhere. It is the breadth of the participants in the case of California that gives hope.

In the future, while I can look out for a wine certified by the California Sustainable Wine-growing Alliance, I will also want to look out for wine that meets the same criteria from other countries.

Making certification international is a bigger problem and I hope the wine industry tackles it. The Marine stewardship Council fish on my plate can have certification that is recognised internationally - I can see no real reason why the glass of wine which will accompany it, cannot have similar robust environmental credentials.

Paul Johnston, leader of Aberdeenshire’s Democrat Independent Councillors, who has advocated fairer deals for North East Farmers, has welcomed the Government announcement on the creation of a Supermarket Ombudsman.

“The move has the potential for helping many North East Farmers and Fishers get a better deal from the big retailers. The imbalance of real power in the trading relationship may be altered with the creation of this ombudsman.” said Cllr Johnston.

“Calls form MP’s Tim Farron and Andrew George, that I have supported in the past, have now been accepted by the Government. Scottish food producers, essential to the long term prosperity of the North East of Scotland, will benefit from a level playing field between producers and the dominant retailers – the big four supermarket chains.”

Paul joins with Scottish NFU and the Federation of Small business in supporting the move.

But the Councillor sounded a word of warning. “This should turn into the government only helping the large food processors squeeze a percent extra margin out of the Supermarkets – that will not help either producers or customers. The function of the Ombudsman will have to be to ensure fair dealing for our producers and to rebalance the power within the industry. It will be something to watch carefully that it helps the real backbone of food production – farmers and fishers” said the Councillor.

Paul Johnston is an Independent Councillor on Aberdeenshire Council representing the largely rural Mid Formartine Ward which has numerous food and farming businesses. He is a member of the Liberal Democrats nationally, and a strong advocate of justice in trade issues such as FAIRTRADE.