Alyn Smith 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺

💊 Last year, there were 2.2 million prescriptions given to Stirling residents free of charge. That’s saved local people around £22 million.

In Scotland, MSPs have a right to bring forward Members’ Bill proposals and if I’m elected in May I’m going to take full use of it. What law would you like to see created? Amended? Scrapped? I’ve plenty ideas myself but want to hear from you. Drop me an email to the address on the clip.

A happy Burns Night to all! Just the two of us at home tonight, a brilliant haggis from our local butcher, tatties and neeps from Ginger Roots on Port Street, obligatory @irnbru.bsky.social and (unpictured!) dram 😋 🥃 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

YouTube video by National Post Mark Carney's full speech at the World Economic Forum

This speech from Canadian PM Mark Carney is a breath of fresh, if chilly, air. Especially uncomfortable, but true, on the comfortable fiction of the rules based international order. Well worth your time.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=btqH...

Kaja Kallas: "Let me be abundantly clear: tariff threats will not pressure Denmark into handing over Greenland. They only risk making both Europe and the United States poorer and undermining our shared prosperity. We have no interest in picking a fight, but we will hold our ground."

🚆 Nobody looks forward to the Monday morning commute, but the SNP government has made it a bit easier and more affordable by scrapping peak fares for good.

ScotRail has now been brought into public ownership, meaning it’s firmly on the side of commuters, thanks to SNP intervention.

Today’s poll proves the SNP vision of independence in Europe is appealing to more and more folks. A massive 73%, almost 3 in 4, of folks want back in the EU. We’ve been out in Callander speaking to locals about building up our communities.

#Callander #Stirling #Scotland #independence #EU

Productive discussion with Stephen Montgomery from the Scottish Hospitality Group and Gary Atkinson from the Golden Lion Hotel yesterday. Hospitality is a major employer and an important industry to the Stirling area and I intend to be a strong voice for its success if elected in May.

Should be a good #RejoinEU debate in #Glasgow this Friday evening, and perhaps who better to lead the arguments in favour than former #Scotland MEP @alynsmith.bsky.social who, at the sad moment of our leaving, asked our fellow Europeans to #LeaveALightOn for us to help find our way home again? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧🇪🇺

I’ve contacted the Ambassador Group, owners of the Craigforth site to try help get the redevelopment of the site moving. It’s going to wrack and ruin as it stands when it could surely be a great development for somebody.

#Stirling #business #development #economy

The safety of our nation will rely on European links The only part of the world that has actually maintained solidarity and co-operation is the EU – that’s the team Scotland needs to be part of

In today's Sunday National some thoughts on what is going on over Greenland, and what it means for the EU and Scotland.

www.thenational.scot/politics/257...

⚡️ The UK has some of the highest energy bills in Europe, but we can do things differently with independence.

💡 No longer tied to an outdated energy network that penalises Scottish bill payers, we could have some of the lowest energy bills in Europe - which will reduce the cost of almost everything.

Oh my goodness this is well written and clear eyed from Þorsteinn Pálsson, a former Icelandic Prime Minister, and well worth your time.

"Those who look only after their own interests and never those of others cannot, by their very nature, be allies to anyone."

www.arctictoday.com/trump-forces...

Some happy memories of Greenland in (yikes!) 2011 representing the EU in the West Nordic Council Interparliamentary Meeting. Self determination and the rule of law is at the heart of @snp.org politics, Greenland's future can only be decided by the people who live there.

Alyn Smith: Cyprus can play pivotal role in important year IT is common at this time of year to make predictions for the year ahead. I’m not going to do too much of that, beyond committing myself to…

📰 Written before the illegal and unwise US intervention in Venezuela, here's my take on the challenges facing the EU Cyprus Presidency in today's Sunday National.

www.thenational.scot/politics/257...

Investigate the Russia Report - The Citizens The Citizens:

Former MPs including @benbradshaw.bsky.social, @carolinelucas.bsky.social and @alynsmith.bsky.social called on the government to investigate interference in our democracy.

It marked the first time sitting MPs brought an action against the state. the-citizens.com/action/russi...

Alyn Smith: Why 2025 was such a pivotal year for the European Union WHEN I was asked by Laura Webster, the Sunday National’s editor, to do a review of the EU’s 2025 I happily agreed, but it has been difficult to…

📰 Saying 2025 has been a big year in Europe is something of an understatement! Me in Sunday’s @scotnational.bsky.social.

www.thenational.scot/politics/257...

Where else would I do last minute Christmas shopping but Made in Stirling? Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄 🎅🏻

🔎 When we say Stop the Scottish Energy Bill Rip-Off, we are saying something bigger than “shave a few pounds off the price cap”.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Here are three key points you need to know: www.believeinscotland.org/scotland_nee...

UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say

We should never have left ERASMUS at all. Agreement to continue participation was in place and it was only pulled at the last minute in an act of spite by Boris Johnson personally. But, I'm glad to see this agreement and hope that the £570m is uncontroversial.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Scottish Child Payment | Food Insecurity | Deprivation New analysis shows the Scottish child payment sharply reduces child deprivation and food insecurity, with no evidence of work disincentives. Discover the findings.

New study from LSE, York & Glasgow universities shows the Scottish Child Payment is transforming lives.

Without it, 70,000 more children would face deprivation and food insecurity.

We will keep investing in families and lifting children out of poverty.

Aye that was a positive moment at least!

One interesting piece of data I mentioned on the @holyroodsources.bsky.social podcast today is that the SNP is more likely to be trusted to stand up for Scotland's interests than Labour *among 2024 Labour voters*, by 30% to 23%.

Stirling’s, and Scotland’s, empathy doesn’t stop at our borders. Very proud to support a pro Palestine rally in Stirling today. A just peace for all must be based on humanitarianism, the rule of law and accountability.

Too many folks and businesses are struggling with energy costs, all the more absurd when Scotland has so many resources. The UK has delivered a poor deal on energy, an independent Scotland won’t do it like this.

#Scotland #Stirling #costofliving #independence #energy

Scottish city named 'happiest place to live' - and it's not Edinburgh or Glasgow Its property prices are cheaper than other locations on the list.

Stirling voted the happiest place in Scotland!

With good reason, we’ve a great community, quality of life, good services and amenities and a beautiful location.

(Obviously it’s just a bit of fun but Stirling won so I’ll take it 😉)

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now...

Scottish health information you can trust NHS inform is Scotland's national health information service helping the people in Scotland to make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for

Details of the recommendations change each year on the basis of best up to date science on what’s needed to keep the population safe, but JCVI and www.nhsinform.scot are the best folks to explain their logic and give medical advice.

Aye it looks like this Season’s going to be a bit hairy I’m afraid!

Just out my Covid and Flu jabs, easy appointment, cheerful and professional team, first class, thanks @nhsforthvalley.bsky.social! Vaccines are safe and work. If you need one, go on get one. More info here: nhsinform.scot/wintervaccines

Canada clinches deal to join Europe’s €150B defense scheme The deal concludes months of tough talks and will allow Ottawa to take part in procurements financed by the EU’s SAFE program.

This is really very significant news, not just for the Canadians and EU but because it gives the lie to the UK-EU “reset” being little better organised than a binfire in a skip.

www.politico.eu/article/cana...