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DREW HENDRY: Sending people to Rwanda is not who we are as a nation





Migrants continue to arrive in Dover - 35 migrants were aboard this Navy vessel.
Migrants continue to arrive in Dover - 35 migrants were aboard this Navy vessel.

A couple of weeks ago the ‘Safety of Rwanda Act’ was passed in the Westminster Parliament. This bill might pass some people by because it may not ‘feel’ like it affects them.

I can understand that, as the biggest subject, you won’t be surprised to hear, being discussed on the doorsteps with me continues to be the Cost of living.

Mortgages, rent, food bills and energy costs have, as you will be feeling, gone through the roof over the past years and most of that caused or made worse by Truss, Brexit and other Westminster choices.

Take the squeeze folk are feeling is in car insurance, rocketing in price by over 36% here and only between 2 - 6% in France, Italy and Spain.

This shameful ‘Rwanda’ act is not only a disgraceful piece of legislation, breaking international law, but you, the public are paying through the nose for it.

Nearly £300 milion has already been spent, for each Asylum seeker being sent there it will cost £11,000 per ticket and the Rwandan government will be paid £20,000 for each person.

Totting up all the other elements, if the planned 300 are sent, the total cost per asylum seeker would be £1.8 million.

It won’t work either.

Are they really naïve enough to believe that those who have faced war and terror, who are left with no choice but to journey across the Channel in a rubber dinghy, not knowing if they’ll make it across alive, will be deterred by the threat of deportation to Rwanda?

These, however, are the priorities of this Tory Government. Folk here are still struggling with rising costs, with Westminster offering no tangible help.

Instead, they’ve shown us who they are once again, what a cold and cruel and callous Government content with using their most privileged of positions to ensure those most vulnerable continue to suffer.

At a time when Westminster has cut Scotland’s capital budget by over 16%, it is not hard to see that both in humanitarian terms and for public services we would make very different choices.

This is not who we are, these are not our values. I have seen, time and time again, the compassion for others from my constituents who get in touch with me to share their horror at what we are witnessing unfolding across the world just now.

Rest assured; I will continue to stand up for their views.

Back here at home, it has been great to finally see some blue skies and lighter nights as I have been out and about meeting with folk to discuss my Highland Energy Rebate campaign.

If you haven’t already heard of the campaign, it aims to introduce a financial rebate scheme to Highland and Islands residents, offsetting the higher per-unit costs of electricity they currently face.

The campaign already has fantastic support from stakeholders and, of course, all the Highlands and Islands residents who have signed the petition.

I met with Minister Solloway again last week to discuss the campaign progress and will keep working with her and others to highlight the need for this scheme.

Before I go, a quick reminder that if you need my assistance with any issues, please get in touch – I am here to help.

You can book a call or meeting with me at www.drewhendrymp.scot .

Drew Hendry (SNP) is MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.


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