Brendan O'Hara MP

Member of Parliament for Argyll and Bute

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

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Thank you to everyone who has been in touch about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. I know there is a lot of concern across Argyll and Bute about the impact the virus is having on our communities, our local businesses and the economy especially those in our hugely important food and drink industry, as well as hospitality and tourism.

Charities helping world’s poorest need our support more than ever

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UK Government must reverse cuts to international aid budget & help organisations affected by Covid-19 This afternoon I took part (virtually) in a Westminster Hall Debate on Government support for non-governmental organisations and churches in developing nations during the Covid-19 pandemic and spoke about the need for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office reverse its […]

Home Office must match 4G commitment shown by Scottish Government

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Local MP welcomes Kintyre mast benefits & calls on UK Government to progress plans Argyll & Bute MP Brendan O’Hara has welcomed the news that many more people in Kintyre are now benefitting from better mobile coverage thanks to the Scottish Government’s £25 million 4G Infill programme which recently resulted in the activation of a […]

The pandemic has exposed elements in our world that need fixing

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This is a piece I have written in support of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill campaign. COVID-19 has revealed a great deal about the world we live in. It’s shown us what works well—the vital role of our NHS, the kindness in our communities, and the life-saving scientific advances that have produced the vaccine. […]

Winter 2020/2021 newsletter

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Happy New Year and welcome to my new MP newsletter. Like most people my movements have been hugely curtailed due to the pandemic and I haven’t managed to be out and about as I’d want for several months. I am, however, still very busy with parliamentary business and I wanted to share with you some […]

Building links with our Arctic neighbours

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This week the first ever UK parliamentary group dedicated to Greenland, took a huge step forward in building links with its Arctic neighbour. On Tuesday the first official meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Greenland, established by Argyll & Bute MP Brendan O’Hara just last month, had the honour of being addressed by […]

Johnson’s deal ‘social and economic disaster’ for Argyll & Bute

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I can’t vote for a ‘deal’ that undermines our farmers, fishermen and future opportunities for young people Tomorrow (Wednesday) I will vote against Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit EU trade deal. I will do so because the deal we are being asked to support is woefully deficient, as it undermines our farmers, our fishing communities and the […]

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Brendan O’Hara MP

10 hours ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
Deputy First Minister John Swinney will today pledge to tear down barriers to learning as he unveils a package of practical measures designed to reduce the cost of the school day.The Education Secretary will confirm that an SNP government will end the practice - common in practical subjects such as art and design, music, home economics, hospitality and technology - of pupils being expected to pay fees for materials or provide their own.Mr Swinney will also say that every pupil should be able to take part fully in school trips, including P7 residential trips and at least one optional secondary school trip. Children should not miss out simply because their parents cannot afford the cost and an SNP Government will therefore exempt less-well off families from the costs of trips and activities.He will announce that grants towards school uniform costs for poorer families will increase from the £100 minimum to £120 in Primary School and £150 in Secondary School. In future this grant will be linked to inflation and reviewed to ensure it meets the real costs faced by families. The use of exclusive branded retailers – which often leads to higher costs for families – will be banned.The announcements complete a manifesto package, to be unveiled later this week, aimed at reducing the cost of the school day, including:- free school breakfast and lunch for all primary school pupils,- universal provision of an age-appropriate laptop, Chromebook or tablet for all school pupils,- abolition of core curriculum charges such as materials fees in practical subjects,- increasing the school uniform grant, and - exempting poorer families from the cost of school trips.Making the announcement on a visit to Perthshire, John Swinney is expected to say:“Our goal is to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up for every child. That’s why the SNP has invested enormously in Early Years - from the Baby Box to the transformational increase in childcare provision seen in recent years.“It’s why we’re extending free school meals to ensure that no child is forced to try and learn while hungry.“And it’s why we are going to give every pupil the device they need - so they can learn in the modern world.“But we know that some families are sacrificing essentials like heating, food and rent payments so that their children can participate fully at school. This is simply unacceptable. “If re-elected, charges for practical subjects in school will be abolished, poorer families will be exempt from the cost of school trips and the value of uniform grants will be increased.“The pandemic has been tough for everyone, but particularly so for the younger generations - and by reducing cost of the school day, we will make a real difference in the lives of children from low-income families. “In a country as wealthy as Scotland, no pupil should struggle to learn because of poverty - and by giving both votes to the SNP on May 6th, people can elect a government which is absolutely committed to tearing down the barriers to education that still exist, and ensuring all children can get the best start in life.” ... See MoreSee Less
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Brendan O’Hara MP

1 week ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
A huge week coming up for Oban’s Robert MacIntyre as he makes his debut at the Masters in Augusta. It’s a fantastic achievement and everyone at Glencruitten Golf Club in Oban will be so proud of their boy as the whole of Scotland cheers on this remarkable young man. Good luck Bob 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ... See MoreSee Less

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Brendan O’Hara MP

2 weeks ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
Huge congratulations to Bob, this is great news for him and his family and I wish him all the very best of luck at the Masters!Bob MacIntyre's challenge for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play title came to an end today after losing 5&4 to Victor Perez. Having made it to the last 16 however the Oban golfer is guaranteed to be inside the top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking when the next weekly update takes place on Monday, meaning an invite to the US Masters in Augusta, April 8-11. Well done Bob! ... See MoreSee Less

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Brendan O’Hara MP

2 weeks ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
Police are appealing for information to find missing woman Kathleen Symons, last seen in the Tighnabruaich area.WOMAN MISSING FROM TIGHNABRUAICH:Police are appealing for help from the public to trace a woman missing from Kames, Tighnabruaich.Kathleen Symons (34) was last seen in the Tighnabruaich area of Cowal on Tuesday (March 16). Kathleen (photographed) is described as white, 5ft 7in tall, with black hair. Inspector Simon Shanks said: “Enquires are ongoing but we are now seeking the assistance of the public to help us locate Kathleen.“We believe Kathleen may have travelled to England by car. I would ask anyone with information, or who has seen Kathleen since this time, to contact the police.“I would also like to appeal to Kathleen directly to attend at a local police station or to contact one of her friends or family so that we can ensure she is safe and well.“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 4253 of 27 March.” ... See MoreSee Less

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Brendan O’Hara MP

2 weeks ago

Brendan O’Hara MP
twitter.com/thesnp/status/1376490628813631492?s=21“🖐️ The power to shape Scotland's future is in all of our hands. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 We can build a better, fairer, greener, independent country - and it's within closer reach than ever before. 🗳️ On May 6, vote for #TeamSNP to secure Scotland's right to choose. #BothVotesSNP ht... ... See MoreSee Less

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AvatarHelensburgh Advertiser@helensburghadv·
4h

.@BrendanOHaraMP says the UK Government's decision to divert foreign aid money away from nations in need, and towards increasing the stockpile of nuclear weapons, proves Britain has "lost its moral compass".

This week's community column 👇: https://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk/news/19228671.brendan-ohara-diverting-aid-money-proves-britain-lost-moral-compass/

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AvatarNicola Sturgeon@NicolaSturgeon·
12 Apr

Jaw-dropping. The UK Tory government is going to Court to challenge a law passed by @scotparl unanimously. And for what? To protect their ability to legislate/act in ways that breach children’s rights in Scotland. Politically catastrophic, but also morally repugnant. https://twitter.com/GlennBBC/status/1381629964383092739

Glenn Campbell@GlennBBC

UK govt is referring two Holyrood laws to @UKSupremeCourt to decide if MSPs have gone beyond the powers of the devolved parliament

The bills would incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Charter of local self govt into Scots law

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AvatarJohn Swinney@JohnSwinney·
12 Apr

A breathtaking decision by the U.K. Government to challenge, in Court, legislation agreed unanimously @ScotParl, to protect the rights of children. This is the real face of the Tories. We must put the rights of children first and @scotgov will vigorously resist this. https://twitter.com/GlennBBC/status/1381629964383092739

Glenn Campbell@GlennBBC

UK govt is referring two Holyrood laws to @UKSupremeCourt to decide if MSPs have gone beyond the powers of the devolved parliament

The bills would incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Charter of local self govt into Scots law

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AvatarLaura McAllister 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿@LauraMcAllister·
10 Apr

We are one football family. We can't leave any single nation behind if football is to genuinely become a game for everyone: https://www.lauramcallisterforfootball.com/

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