Hopefully everyone’s been enjoying the sunshine.

With the council in recess I’ve had the chance to enjoy the taps aff weather a little myself, although I kept mine on in case Greenpeace tried to re-float me - I really must go on a diet.

The Scottish Government has done extremely well, making good use of private water supplies and encouraging responsible use of water. As the heatwave was expected to intensify, with a little rain over the weekend, the government are asking everyone to continue conserving water. Hopefully we’ll be able to avoid a hosepipe ban or any rationing of supplies.

In this weather Dalmuir Park is perfect for a picnic or even just a walk in the fresh air. The team who maintain the park were successful in winning a Green Flag Award from Keep Scotland Beautiful for creating an environment that is welcoming, well maintained and benefits the wellbeing of local residents. This is the fifth year in a row they’ve seen success. The award is well deserved and I’d like to thank the team for their dedication.

Unfortunately, the news hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. In fact Labour’s iconic rose continues to wilt with yet another victory for the Tory government being delivered by Labour Party MPs.

A little over a year ago now, Labour MPs voted through the Tories’ policy programme by supporting the Queen’s speech, and in a final act before parliamentary recess, Labour were at it again, voting with the Tories to ensure a hard Brexit that will damage our country. With big employers already announcing moves out of the UK, Labour should be joining the SNP in fighting to protect jobs. Instead they abstain or vote with their Tory comrades, enabling the Tories to shaft us.

This week I’ll be visiting the DWP in Greenock to learn about the implementation of Universal Credit there. It’s due to roll out here in the autumn and we need to do everything we can to help people survive under the new regime.

With the Tories in disarray, the Labour Party should be working with others in parliament to take them down and prevent the roll out of damaging policies like Universal Credit. Unfortunately, they’re too cosy with the Tories and prefer to keep them in power. The SNP are the sole real opposition in the UK parliament.

It’s clearer now than it has ever been that the only way to rid ourselves of the Tory scourge is by revoking the Act of Union and once again being an independent nation.