Brendan O'Hara MP

Member of Parliament for Argyll and Bute

Brendan O’Hara MP

SNP Member of Parliament for Argyll and Bute

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Brendan O’Hara MP

3 hours ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
The SNP has said the Chancellor "must not pull the rug out from under the economy" by cutting support for jobs and businesses abruptly and prematurely - as new analysis shows the hospitality and service industry could be hardest hit when the Tory government ends furlough support at the end of this month.Analysis from the House of Commons Library, using the latest HMRC data, has revealed that 259,100 jobs in accommodation and food services remain furloughed at the latest count - representing 15% of eligible jobs in the industry.In total 1,563,600 jobs across the UK remain furloughed at the last count. That includes 224,500 jobs in wholesale and retail (5%), 161,500 in administrative and support services (7%), 155,900 in manufacturing (7%), 120,400 in transportation (9%), 114,200 in construction (9%), and 73,900 in the arts and entertainment (15%).With ten days to go until the Tory government ends the furlough scheme at the same time as raising taxes and cutting Universal Credit payments by £1040 a year, my colleague and SNP Business spokesperson Stephen Flynn MP warned the UK government is creating a "perfect storm" that could result in rising unemployment, poverty and inequality.Stephen Flynn MP said: "The Chancellor must not pull the rug out from under the economy by cutting support for jobs and businesses - risking a Tory unemployment and poverty crisis in the winter."By ending the furlough scheme prematurely, increasing taxes, and cutting Universal Credit by £1040 a year, the Tory government is creating a perfect storm that could result in thousands of unnecessary redundancies and rising levels of poverty and inequality across the UK. "Brexit has already hit the economy hard and the UK already suffers from the worst levels of poverty and inequality in north west Europe. It makes no sense for the Tory government to starve the economy of support and threaten people's jobs and livelihoods."Too many people have been left behind by the UK government during the pandemic, and it is increasingly clear that there will be no fair recovery at Westminster. The only way to keep Scotland safe from Tory cuts is to become an independent country, with the full powers needed to build a strong, fair and equal recovery." ... See MoreSee Less
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Brendan O’Hara MP

5 days ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
Jumping for joy…that Oxfam’s excellent Second Hand September campaign is back! As usual I’m kitted-out, head to toe in clothes sourced from Argyll & Bute’s fantastic charity shops, because we have to stop sending 13 million items of clothing to landfill in the UK every week, when 95% of them could be reused or recycled. Say YES to Second Hand. ... See MoreSee Less

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Brendan O’Hara MP

1 week ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
The SNP has said that independence is the only way to escape the long-term damage of Brexit, after figures revealed that post-Brexit trade barriers hit UK importers with an extra £600m in costs.HMRC data found that custom duties paid by UK firms went up from £1.6 billion in the first half of last year to a staggering £2.2 billion over the same period this year.The cost comes as businesses face Brexit bureaucracy, higher costs and increased number of checks - including complex "rules of origin" regulations that were put in place due to Brexit on the 1st of January.Commenting, the SNP’s Europe spokesperson Dr Philippa Whitford MP said: "At a time when many businesses are already struggling, due to the pandemic, the Tory government's extreme Brexit deal has piled on further hardship and economic damage."Brexit bureaucracy, checks and higher costs are burdening businesses across Scotland and the UK. The Tory government should be bringing forward meaningful support and compensation - not handing them a £600 million Brexit bill."Brexit has already played a major role in the shortages of food and staffing we are witnessing - with the lack of HGV drivers leading to further warnings of hardship and empty shelves in the coming months."Scotland rejected Brexit and it's clear that we are vulnerable under Westminster control. The only way to properly protect our interests and escape the long-term damage of Brexit is to become an independent country which is part of the largest single market in the world.” ... See MoreSee Less
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Brendan O’Hara MP

2 weeks ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
Yesterday, in the House of Commons I asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab why emails I sent him on August 25, 28 and September 3 to specially set up inboxes for the Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and Home Office containing a list of Afghan nationals urgently in need of help, have not been read or responded to. This list details staff members of Scottish humanitarian organisation, Spirit Aid, who are in fear of their lives. Amongst them are doctors, teachers, pharmacists and guards, as well as their families, some of whom have had to go into hiding since the Taliban took over.As you will hear, the Foreign Secretary assured me these emails would be responded to by close of play yesterday. I am still waiting. ... See MoreSee Less

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Brendan O’Hara MP

2 weeks ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
The SNP has said "Scotland is being shafted" by Tory plans to impose a National Insurance hike on millions of Scottish families to fix Westminster's social care crisis in England.In a letter to Boris Johnson ahead of his parliamentary statement today, my colleagues Ian Blackford MP, Alison Thewliss MP and David Linden MP warned the Prime Minister against breaking the Tory manifesto pledge to keep National Insurance at current levels - arguing that it would be the equivalent of imposing a new Tory poll tax on Scotland that would penalise Scottish families by landing them with the bill to fix a crisis in England.The SNP Westminster Leader, SNP Shadow Chancellor and SNP Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary also raised the wider unfair and regressive nature of the Tory National Insurance increase, which would add to the intergenerational unfairness faced by young people and the pain faced by low incomes families, alongside Tory cuts to Universal credit and the premature termination of the furlough scheme.Commenting, SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford MP said:"Boris Johnson must ditch his damaging Tory tax hike, which would unfairly penalise Scottish families by forcing them to pay the bill for the Westminster social care crisis in England."Yet again, Scotland is being shafted with a new Tory poll tax being imposed against our will. Scottish families are already being hit hard by the £1040 Tory cuts to Universal Credit and the long-term economic damage of Brexit - they must not be forced to pay hundreds of pounds more each year for Tory failure."The Tories came to regret imposing the poll tax. If Boris Johnson breaks yet another manifesto pledge, the Tories will descend even further into irrelevance in Scotland."SNP Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss MP added:"Scottish families have already been hammered by a decade of Tory austerity cuts, and the UK now has the worst levels of poverty in north west Europe. If Boris Johnson goes ahead with this Tory tax hike, it will cement inequality and push families even further into hardship and crisis."It's increasingly clear there is no chance of a fair covid recovery at Westminster. The only way to keep Scotland safe from Tory cuts and tax hikes is to become an independent country, with the full powers needed to build a strong, fair and equal recovery." ... See MoreSee Less
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Brendan O’Hara MP

2 weeks ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
The SNP has said Boris Johnson must outline a 'credible plan' to protect thousands of Afghan refugees and vulnerable people left behind by the UK government - as the Prime Minister prepares to make a statement in Parliament today.As MPs return to Westminster, Kirsten Oswald MP said the UK government must "make up for lost time and fulfil its responsibility to the vulnerable Afghan people it has abandoned" through its role in the biggest foreign policy disaster in modern times.The SNP Westminster Deputy Leader said the UK government has a 'moral duty' to substantially increase the number of refugees it takes, ensure safe routes for refugee relocation and resettlement, and ensure adequate funding arrangements for local authorities.Commenting, SNP Westminster Deputy Leader Kirsten Oswald MP said:"With Afghanistan in crisis, the UK government must make up for lost time and fulfil its responsibility to the vulnerable Afghan people it has abandoned."The Prime Minister must use his statement today to set out a credible plan to protect thousands of Afghan refugees and those that have shamefully been left behind."Boris Johnson shares responsibility for the biggest foreign policy disaster in modern times, and the UK government now has a moral duty to ensure safe routes for refugee resettlement, substantially increase the number of refugees the UK government is willing to take, and outline adequate refugee funding arrangements for the devolved governments and local authorities."Our brave troops and personnel put in a heroic effort to evacuate people to safety - and they deserve to be thoroughly commended - but Tory ministers must not hide behind their efforts to defend themselves from the catastrophic failure caused by their poor decisions and planning."The Prime Minister must also outline what the UK government is doing to help those who will be left living in the human rights nightmare that Afghanistan is already becoming, particularly for women and girls - and what it will do to ensure it doesn't become a haven for terrorism."Finally, it is essential that the UK government learns lessons from this crisis, including the need to completely reverse Tory cuts to international aid and commit to a judge-led inquiry on the war in Afghanistan and the withdrawal. People have a right to know the truth of how the UK government got it so badly wrong." ... See MoreSee Less
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Brendan O'Hara MPFollow

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AvatarDolitics@dollytheis·
6h

As #LondonFashionWeek closes tomorrow, let’s celebrate Britain’s fashion industry: the creativity, talent, innovation, culture, history, politics, expression & much more.

📸♻️ Our #SecondHandSeptember MP photoshoot stands FOR 🇬🇧 fashion, but against the 🌍 damage of #FastFashion

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AvatarCSW Advocacy@CSWadvocacy·
18 Sep

Dawit Isaac Playwright, Journalist & Author. Co-owner of the first independent newspaper, Setit. A dual Swedish national. Detained since September 2001. #20Years #NotForgotten #Eritrea @FreeDawit @pressfreedom @RSF_en @PEN_Ertra @AtvAsena

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AvatarCSW Advocacy@CSWadvocacy·
18 Sep

Haile Woldetensae, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Hamad Hamid, Head of the Arabic (Middle East) Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Detained since September 2001. #20Years #NotForgotten #Eritrea @AtvAsena

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AvatarPax Christi Scotland@PaxScotland·
18 Sep

#ClimateEmergency No peace without climate action. UN’s Antonio Guterres says ‘It is time for leaders to stand and deliver, or people in all countries will pay a tragic price’. Hear our speakers on World Peace Day. Sep 21, 2021 19:00 London time
https://us02web.zoom.us/.../t%20ZAqcOyvqT8vGtFLiwC1b3q9Z7...

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AvatarScottish Association for Marine Science@SAMSoceannews·
17 Sep

It's official: Teaching at SAMS UHI is among the best in the UK.

Earth & marine sciences @ThinkUHI was ranked 3rd in the UK - best in Scotland - in @guardian Best UK Universities and we recorded a 100% student satisfaction result.

Read more: https://www.sams.ac.uk/news/sams-news-education-recognition.html
#ThinkUHI

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AvatarBackbench Business Committee@CommonsBBCom·
16 Sep

Then, at 15:00 in Westminster Hall, @MrAndy_Carter and @edwardtimpson will lead a debate on the implementation of the recommendations of the Timpson Review of School Exclusion.

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