Until now I have hesitated to comment on what its own organisers pronounce as the campaign to “Abolish the Goo-ga Hunt”. It struck me as another one of these boring examples of attention-seeking behaviour, enabled by social media and fuelled by a lack of real purpose in life. The “Goo-ga” campaign does fall into the virtue-signalling camp of activism and to prove their commitment someone undertook a sweat-drenched election campaign in a penguin suit (he didn’t look anything l

On Saturday 25th November 2025, I hosted a Community Hall Forum in Laxdale Hall bringing together halls from across Lewis and Harris. I invited speakers from a number of organisations that offer support and advice to speak to community hall representatives about what they can offer. Speakers included Community Energy Scotland, Community Learning & Development (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar), Outer Hebrides Community-Led Local Development Programme with the Local Action Group and

£1200 has been raised for Western Isles Women’s Aid at our Christmas fundraiser at Lews Castle. Women’s Aid provides vital refuge and advocacy services for women and children experiencing domestic abuse across the islands. The Songs for the Season in the Castle courtyard featured performances from Lewis musicians Colin Macleod and Scott C Park, and brought together local supporters to back an organisation that provides life-saving help, safe accommodation and specialist supp

Our campaign to save the main Stornoway Post Office is gathering momentum. Thank you to the hundreds of islanders who signed our petition - your support is powering our calls to retain this vital local service. There is a unique island case to maintain our chief Post Office. I've raised this matter repeatedly in Parliament and have met with Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas MP to press our case. Encouragingly, the minister has been open to exploring all options to protect th

Stornoway Post Office is under threat of closure in a hit-list of 115 Crown Offices announced by the Post Office. The loss of the main Post Office in Stornoway would be a huge blow to town and the island. I created a petition which in August 2025 had received 677 signatures. The text reads as follows: We, the undersigned, are committed to the retention of a Crown Post Office in its current location on Francis Street, Stornoway; call on the Post Office to enter into meaningf