At a time when government departments all over the UK are making staff cutbacks, it is always good to see councillors going the extra mile to try and protect jobs. This is precisely what Conservative East Kilbride councillor Graham Simpson set out to do when he heard 150 jobs were to be axed at the Department for International Development in Hairmyres.
Cllr Simpson got in touch with Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell to discuss the situation. “I have got to stand up for my area, but we have to accept the position we are in,” he says, “Of course there are cuts to the admin budget across all departments everywhere. But I was able to stress to Andew, and he knew it anyway, that it is very important that as many jobs as possible are protected.”
“As a result he [Mitchell] is taking action to move even more jobs up to East Kilbride. And that’s a direct result of my attempts.” 70 jobs are already being transferred to the area from London.
Simpson, who has been a councillor since 2007, is currently focusing on his campaign for election to the Scottish Parliament, representing East Kilbride. This is proving tough in a traditionally Labour area, but “the Tory vote has held up well. This is partly down to my hard work in showing that we can stand up for people.”
The highlight of his councillorship so far happened a couple of years ago, when Simpson helped some parents who were fighting to get their children into a particular primary school. “We fought a number of cases through the courts, won their case, and I think it was largely through my cajoling them and supporting them throughout,” he says, “We got the kids into the school and I was just absolutely delighted for those people.”
As well as being a councillor, Simpson is Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Councillors Association and a journalist for the Scottish Sun. He says: “I think being a councillor and a reporter are very similar. The beauty of it is you are dealing with people. To me that is the fun of it. You get to deal with individuals, hear their stories and help them.”
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