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Alasdair Allan

The cuts facing the council are "the worst of any in Scotland".

Council cuts threaten ‘irreversible’ damage

Kallin harbour, Grimsay, North Uist

Inshore fishing as bad as aviation, says Green MSP

The festival will close with an evening devoted to Harris-based artist Steve Dilworth

Bumper programme for return of Faclan

The Royal Mail service ensures people in the Highlands and Islands do not pay excessive fees for deliveries, but as this report highlights that practice is far from universal

Isanders pay £2.4m more for deliveries

As well as being a crofter, Calum Angus MacKay established the croft diversification business, Sundown Cottages in Achmore

Local agriculture office is a ‘scandal’

Isle of Lewis now broken down.. what next?

Isle of Lewis breaks down - what next?

Loch Seaforth heading the Clyde for repairs

CalMac admit - Loch Seaforth out for at least six weeks

Donald MacKinnon, chair of the SCF

The Scottish Crofting Federation were pleased with how their hustings went last ...

Alasdair Allan's last column before May's elections

Gazette columnist Alasdair Allan writes his final column before the elections in...

Island airport operators told to keep talking.

Transport for Scotland tell HIAL to keep talking over ATC plans.

MV Isle of Lewis is in dry dock undergoing work

MSP raises concerns with cabinet secretaries over the failure of the ferry servi...
Concerns raised with MSP over a failure of the ferry service to Barra for 10 days.

Bernera Bridge

MSP Alasdair welcomes the bridge funding announcement from the Scottish Governme...

The report details that parents who have lost jobs or been furloughed has created cost of living pressures

Concern in the islands as child poverty figures have risen

Alasdair Allan MSP

283 families in Na h-Eileanan an Iar have received a £100 COVID winter hardship ...

Alasdair Allan MSP has applauded the Scottish Government's funding package.

Some commentators are suggesting it could be a case of 'too little, too late'.

The Scottish Fishing industry says it is losing £1 million per day post-Brexit as EU customers are cancelling orders.

Island politicians fight for fair play

Alasdair Allan MSP says to add a hard or no deal Brexit into the mix would be 'madness' at this time.

Western Isles MSP calls for Brexit extension amidst Covid concerns

Wind farms who had generated income by exporting power to the grid via the subsea cable have been at a standstill since the failure. Image: archive

There’s anger over SSEN’s decision to replace the damaged subsea cable with a li...

Alasdair Allan MSP praises the SNPs vision over free school meals.

Allan welcomes meals announcement

The ‘Save Arnish’ campaign say they will continue the fight in an attempt to secure whatever best deal is available for workers.

BiFab comes to the end of the road!

Alasdair calls for fairer delivery charges for island shoppers.

Island MSP calls for a fairer scheme on delivery charges

The Arnish Yard is the subject of concern and anger as workers are told new contract has been awarded elsewhere.

No deal on the cards for BiFab

Battery Point is currently generating island power.

Community council in plea to minister

Some further relaxing of restrictions were announced today.

Great news - but care must still be taken

the MV Isle of Lewis had to return to Oban for a deep clean.

Worry for Barra residents after CalMac vessel has to be sent for a deep clean

Perhaps this year Covid will make more of us take a step back and reconsider the real meaning of Christmas.

Local MSP backs the ‘Give a Gift, Light up a Life’ project

The Arnish fabrication yard.

Renewed anger over the Arnish debacle

Alasdair Allan is holding a series of conversation on Gaelic

MSP announces dates for conversations
Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan has announced the dates for a series of community conversations on Gaelic’s future as a community language in the Outer Hebrides. Meetings for Tiree and Staffin, Isle of Skye, are being organised by Michael Russell MSP and Kate Forbes MSP.

Alasdair Allan MSP urges applicants not to delay.

MSP urges residents to apply for the new £500 grant

NHS Western Isles agreed with the collective North of Scotland public health viewpoint that support could not currently be given to any island specific relaxation of restrictions. Pic by Tim Riches.

No general agreement reached for Western Isles exemptions

Islands MSP Alasdair Allan speaking at Holyrood.

Alasdair says there has been low awareness

Edinburgh Woolen Mill have run into financial difficulties risking the closure of the Stornoway store.

Fears are growing over the looming possibility of job losses in Stornoway’s reta...

Alasdair Allan MSP wants to see a mobile testing unit set up on Uist, similar to the many units already operating on the mainland.

Western Isles MSP calls for mobile coronavirus testing unit on Uist

Islands MSP Alasdair Allan speaking at Holyrood today during First Minister's Questions.

Uist Covid-19 cluster raised at First Minister’s Questions

Alasdair Allan will be looking to retain his seat for the SNP at the election next May.

Western Isles SNP selects Alasdair Allan as Holyrood election candidate

Fourteen people have tested positive for Covid-19 so far in the latest outbreak on Uist.

Western Isles MSP expresses concerns over South Uist coronavirus cases

Local young people are losing out on houses to cash-rich buyers looking for holiday homes or second properties (Photo © Colin Smith cc-by-sa/2.0)

Fears of ‘economic clearance’ in the Western Isles as young people are priced ou...

Residents in the Western Isles can now order larger items such as furniture and fridges.

Argos expands deliveries to the Western Isles

Western Isles MSP welcomes the end of shielding and the return of schools

Looking at the return of health services and screening programmes

Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Donald Cameron, said: “I believe local people would prefer it if SNP politicians focused on working with the UK Government. That surely is better than scaremongering.”

SNP are scaremongering over immigration says Highlands and Islands Conservative ...

Western Isles MSP, Alasdair Allan, says:“The islands are facing a demographic crisis and sustained inward migration is a critical necessity."

A startingly high percentage of Western Isles jobs would be ineligible under new...

Taskforce is put in place for the Western Isles

Western Isles’ MSP welcomes reintroduction of Stornoway to Inverness flights

How will the Islands recover from economic Armageddon?
More than £3 million per annum lost to the Western Isles’ economy, that is the estimated figure based on an upsurge of Universal Credit claimants in April 2020 compared to March due to the impact of Coronavirus in the region.

Isles’ politicians Angus MacNeil MP and Alasdair Allan MSP recognise that this tidal wave of hardship will have a severe impact on the Islands.

Virus impact on Islands described as “Economic Armageddon” as Universal Credit c...

Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan

Food funding for island families welcomed

More measures to transport Island patients

First cases of Coronavirus in the Western Isles - steps being taken to identify ...

MSP welcomes support for fishing

Western Isles MSP welcomes convergence payments

Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan at Benbecula airport following his meeting with local air traffic control officers. He has written to HIAL and the Scottish Government to highlight their and his concerns about remote towers and centralising jobs to Inverness.

Whistleblower highlights staff concerns on centralisation plan

HIAL last week confirmed a decision to relocate air traffic management systems for five Scottish regional airports, including Stornoway, to a new combined surveillance centre in the Highland capital.

Concerns on air traffic control plan for Islands

Pictured at the meeting are: Councillor Donald Manford, Brian Currie, Theresa Irving, Alasdair Allan MSP, Paul Wheelhouse MSP and Donald Joseph Maclean.

MSP hosts a meeting in parliament on Island ferry

The announcement means that some areas of the Western Isles could see new rules applied in regards to short term lets.

Concern about short lets rules - fears that new regulations could hit Western Is...