Bus Shelters, Dalmarnock Road

I recieved a complaint from residents at the bottom of Dalmarnock Road, regarding persistent vandalism to the bus shelters in the area.

I asked Land and Environmental Services if there was anything they could do about this, and in cooperation with SPT, CCTV cameras will be installed on the bus shelters for the end of next month.

While I don't believe CCTV is always the answer, I'm hopeful that this will deter would-be vandals, and also enhance people's feeling of safety in the area.

New bins for Millerston Street

Millerston Street in my ward, between the Gallowgate and Duke Street, is particularly prone to litter and fly tipping. A lot of people pass along the street on their way to and from Celtic Park and, sadly, they tend to leave a mess behind them.

I had a request from a constituent to have the area cleared up, which Land and Environmental Services duly carried out. To prevent the same mess happening again, I made a modest request for an extra lamp-post bin. To my surprise, LES have responsed enthusiastically with a promise of eight bins, for on each side of Millerston Street. This should make a huge difference to the area, and football fans now have no excuse for dropping their litter!

How some MPs live

I've been out delivering leaflets in the past week or two, and have been mulling over a comment one of my constituents made. It's been bothering me.

I'd put a leaflet through a door, and moved on to the next house in the street. A guy came out of the house, scrunched up the leaflet and, for dramatic effect, put it in the bin.

He said "when youse live like us, then you can come back and speak to us".

I didn't take the bait to go back and argue with him, because he clearly hadn't bothered to read the leaflet. The front of the leaflet was an update from John Mason. The back was a wee bit from me. John's side features a FAQ section, letting people know some details of his life as an MP. It mentions his home address, a flat in Sandaig Road Barlanark. Pretty modest. Certainly not a £350,000 house on the south side.

John gives an honest account of what Westminster requires of him - four days in London, three in Glasgow. I know this is odd to him, being so used to daily life in his ward. He's doing his utmost to be there for his constituents despite this, employing staff in the constituency, opening a highly visible shop on Shettleston Road, holding regular surgeries, visiting local groups. When Parliament's in recess, he's out leafleting and getting seen around the constituency. He works incredibly hard.

It upsets me that people think all politicians are the same, that we all have our noses in the trough. It's clear that the continual expenses scandals from London don't help combat this. It's a real shame that the badly behaved few manage to smear the rest of the hard working public representatives in this country.

I'm sure I've probably said it on here before, but I favour a move to the Scottish Parliament's open, accountable system, where all expenses are available for everyone to see. The Council isn't open enough either, and I'd like that to change. The register of interests isn't enough. Something like this would be a start.

PS - I realised I mentioned John's home but not mine - for info, I live in a flat on Roebank Street, between Ally Parade and the M8. It's small, comfy, and conveniently placed.