Douglas Alexander MP

Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South

Paisley Daily Express column - 08 Feb 2012

Well done David: To the Manse Born

I was delighted to see that Paisley’s own David Tennant has just been named ‘best actor’ in the first ever BBC Audio Drama Awards. He took the award for his role in “Kafta: The Musical” on BBC Radio 3.
David, a former pupil of Paisley Grammar School – and I share something else in common as well as a Renfrewshire upbringing. We are both ‘sons of the Manse’ – with David’s dad, the Rev Sandy MacDonald, a well-known & respected local figure to this day.
The contribution of Manse families was recently the subject of a feature in the Kirks’ Magazine ‘Life and Work’. It was a useful reminder of just what a diverse range of work Manse kids have ended up pursuing.
Television was invented by a Minister’s son, John Logie Baird. Lord Reith the first Director General of the BBC and David Frost were also Ministers children, as is BBC presenter Sheena MacDonald.
In politics, Liberal Leader David Steel grew up in a Manse. In his address to the General Assembly when Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke of the deep impression his father’s concern for the needy made at an early age. “It impressed me so much that my parents once came home to find me, aged 12, innocently giving lunch to a well-known housebreaker!
Not just in politics, but in writing, Manse kids have shone. John Buchan, the author of “39 Steps” and Alastair Maclean, the author of “The Guns of Navarone” all started out life in a Manse.
So well done David…his latest award is part of a fine tradition that stretches back many years. Renfrewshire should be proud of one of its most talented sons

The Hole Story

Last week the Paisley Daily Express revealed that 23,600 complaints had been made last year alone by fuming drivers. That didn’t come as a surprise to me. In my regular advice surgeries I hear regular complaints about burst tyres,  and broken axles from local drivers. It’s little wonder that Council Chiefs have paid out almost £100,000 in compensation since just 2009. The freezing weather and frost this week was just the latest reminder of the urgency of tackling this problem. With 113,000 calls, letters and emails about this problem being sent to Renfrewshire Council let’s hope that the Council Chiefs in Cotton Street are hearing the message that local people want an improvement in the condition of local roads.

A New Way to Recycle

I welcome a new free phone hotline here in Renfrewshire which has been designed to help local people to donate any quality, unwanted items they may have for use by other local people.
Using this hotline people can donate furniture, electrical items and even clothing, safe in the knowledge that their items will go to a good home with people who need them.
It is hoped that more and more local authorities will sign up to the initiative to help make Scotland a little bit greener.
Far too often items which are in perfectly good condition are simply thrown away when their owner no longer needs them. This waste puts extra pressure on landfill sites as well as meaning that the items are not being put to good use.
If you would like to find out more, or have some items that you would like to donate, simply call the reuse hotline on 08000 665 820.

S'no Snowin in Paisley!

On Sunday morning I was interviewed for Sky News Channel's Murnaghan Programme.
They were willing to send a satellite truck so I did the interview outside the Abbey, on the banks of the River Cart.
It was a good chance to showcase Paisley, but what I hadn't realised was how many MP colleagues from Parliament would then get in touch to express surprise that there was no snow in Paisley.
In many other parts of Britain there was heavy snow - thanks to a big snowfall overnight on Saturday, so my interview ended up profiling our good weather as well as our historic town centre.
That was good news for us - but cold comfort for my colleagues from elsewhere in the country!