After a year in Parliament, Leishman writes about how he’s been holding the Labour government to account.
Brian Leishman is the Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth in Scotland, and is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.
Just over a year ago, electors in Alloa & Grangemouth placed their faith in me and
gave me the best job in the world – being their Member of Parliament.
I have been working hard since to represent them in Westminster and campaigned
on a wide range of issues, such as the Grangemouth refinery, the future of bus
manufacturing at Alexander Dennis and the proposed welfare changes which I voted
against.
I also picked up on local campaigns, for instance supporting residents hit by the
discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their homes, while representing our veterans, firefighters and prison officers in the Commons.
And I have not shied away from being critical when I believed things are not going
the true Labour way, with values of fairness, equality and social justice in mind.
However, this Labour Government did get some policies and decisions right.
There is he Employment Rights Bill, which will positively transform thousands of lives
across my area and beyond by giving Scots a proper pay rise and offering better
conditions.
The bill will end exploitative zero-hours contracts while establishing new rights to
parental and bereavement leave.
Only a Labour Government could deliver that.
Leadership was also right to make good on Labour’s promise to reverse a historic
injustice by transferring £1.5 billion to the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, ensuring
fair payouts for years to come.
It means that some 469 MPS members across Alloa and Grangemouth have seen
their pensions boosted by 32%.
However, there is more to be done as members of the British Coal Staff
Superannuation Scheme – former management and people who used to be in
technical, administrative, clerical and supervisory roles – still need to be treated
equally.
The budget delivered last autumn represented the largest settlement for the Scottish
Government in the history of devolution – a total of £47.7 billion in 2025-26, including
an additional £3.4 billion through the Barnett Formula.
The truth is that we have seen years of financial mismanagement and chaos at
Holyrood, but the SNP can no longer simply blame Westminster as they have now
been given the chance to improve the services that matter to people.
Now, the funding must make its way down to local authorities so they can begin to
improve services after years of cuts.
As many will know, I have been a vocal critic of the changes to the welfare system
because I believe a different path is available to us.
Instead of balancing the books off the backs of the most disadvantaged in society, a
Labour Government should instead look at raising revenues and redistributing wealth
and power across society.
Wealth inequalities have accelerated in past years and I have been advocating for
an annual wealth tax of two per cent on those with assets of more than £10 million –
raising approximately £24 million per annum. Equalising capital gains tax is another
way forward – raising in the region of £12 billion a year.
I have also been fighting the corner for WASPI women, because solidarity is never
transactional. If you campaigned for them in opposition, if you stood with them for
photos through the election campaign, then you should be advocating for the women
to be compensated.
Meanwhile, I have been in the constituency every week to meet with people requiring
assistance while visiting groups and inspirational people who do so much for our
communities.
It has been phenomenal to see what people can do when they come together to
improve their areas or provide a vital voluntary service.
My office and caseworkers have also been busy, resolving thousands of cases and
assisting people who often have nowhere else left to turn to.
Going forward, I will continue representing the people of Alloa & Grangemouth while
holding Labour’s true values front and centre.
This government should lift people out of poverty, rather than pushing them into it.
The role of backbench MPs is to hold leadership to account and I will not stop doing
just that.
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