Column: Community comes together to mourn and remember Elgin bus driver Keith Rollinson
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
My thoughts over the last two weeks have very much been with the loved ones of Keith Rollinson, the bus driver who lost his life in the tragic incident at Elgin Bus Station.
The community has been in shock and I know all of us are thinking of Mr Rollinson’s family, friends, and his colleagues at Stagecoach.
Bus drivers place a vital role in our local community, often going above and beyond to serve the public. It is unthinkable that any worker should not return home from their shift.
I hope everyone affected has taken some comfort from the support offered by the local community, which was powerfully on show at the vigil in Elgin town centre last weekend, where there was a big turnout.
It was very poignant driving by Elgin bus station as drivers were going to work and taking passengers to their destinations as we attended a vigil to mark the loss of one of their valued work colleagues.
I’m grateful to police officers for their efforts to not only support Mr Rollinson’s family, but also to reassure the community around public safety in the town centre.
Parliament has been in recess this week, but the final bit of business last week was the stage one debate on the Scottish Budget.
It’s been challenging for Scottish Ministers who are having to work with the worst budget situation in the history of devolution.
Most of the Scottish Government’s funding is delivered through the UK block grant and depends on spending decisions made by the Conservative UK Chancellor.
Not only has the Tory Chancellor prioritised tax cuts over investment in public services, but he’s also slashed Scotland’s capital budget, which will massively impact on plans to improve vital infrastructure across the country.
We’re already seeing the impact as the NHS pauses capital projects not already underway. Tough decisions are having to be taken in all areas of the Scottish Government budget.
Inflation has hit public sector budgets just as it has household finances, with the cost of projects skyrocketing.
Despite the tough economic outlook across the UK, and austerity imposed by the Tory UK Government, the Scottish Government has sought to prioritise supporting people with the cost of living and protecting public services – especially our NHS – in its budget plans.
The cost of living and investing in public services might not be the priority of the Tory Government, but those are the public’s priorities, and they’re certainly the priorities of the SNP Scottish Government.
As part of my ministerial role, I’m excited to have responsibility within the Government for space.
When I tell people that they’re often surprised that not only do we have a minister for space but the space industry is growing faster in Scotland than any other part of the UK.
With Orbex in Forres developing rockets right on our doorstep, Moray is set to play a big role in Scotland’s ambitions to be a global leader in the space industry.
Orbex are leading the way by developing rockets that will make the space industry more sustainable.
The company was named as one of the top ten global space start ups to watch in 2024 – putting Moray on the international space sector map.
Moray has a great deal to contribute when it comes to innovation and developing technologies for the future.
