Holyrood View - Government not listening to neo-natal objections

Ever since that first-minute goal against Morocco in the second match, there was a feeling of inevitability about how the rest of the campaign was going to go. The performances weren’t quite there. But what an achievement to get back to the group stage of the World Cup after almost 30 years away.

That 4-2 against Denmark in qualifying will live on in the memory for years, along with the great impression made by the Tartan Army in Boston, Miami and elsewhere in the US.

The past couple of weeks have seen critically important evidence sessions for the Tealing to Kintore Upgrade Project, which will build 66 miles of giant pylons to carry 400kV of electricity around Scotland, mainly generated by offshore wind.

Angus Council critically intervened and there is now a public local inquiry.

Packed halls in Brechin and Tealing welcomed Scottish Government Reporters and SSEN Transmission representatives, who listened to a large number of objectors to the overland route.

The labyrinthine system of pylons, battery storage, converters and so on is so opaque that it is a full-time job for some campaigners to keep track of what the overall picture looks like - which has absolutely been minimised.

So when Scottish Ministers make the final decision next year, they will need to consider swathes of health and landscape issues.

Lastly, before the May election I promised to keep campaigning for the retention of Ninewells as a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

I intend to keep that promise.

Although the Scottish Government’s plans to downgrade the NICU to a “local neonatal unit” will mean the majority of babies and parents will still get the same excellent care as always, there will be cases where families are sent to Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Many have spoken out already but the government still isn’t listening.

If you would like to add your voice – even confidentially – email me on [email protected] and I’ll let you know how you can be heard.