© Chris Watt - 07887 554193

On Thursday 19 August, I helped Communities Against Airfield Open Cast campaigners erect a road-side banner promoting their new website, adjacent to the proposed site for a new open cast mine. Scottish Coal plans to mine 2 million tonnes of coal from Airfield Farm near Cousland, Midlothian. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join their protest walk/cycle to Cousland on Saturday, but I hope it went well.

Just over a year ago, on 4th August 2009, the Queen signed the Scottish Climate Change Act. Expanding coal operations in Scotland does not make sense, we should be reducing our reliance on coal not increasing it.  The Battle of Britain started on August the 4th 1940 – the ‘Battle of Airfield’ is about to begin. The campaign has my full support.

On Monday, I attended the demonstration outside the Edinburgh City Chambers ‘Kids, Not Suits’ at the invitation of Pete Gregson, the organiser. I spoke to many of the parents and am genuinely concerned at the affects some of the cuts may have. At a point when the SNP were promising class sizes of 18 in Primary 1 and Primary 2, there is at least one school in Edinburgh that was a composite class of 30 Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils with just one teacher.

The campaign is pushing for greater efficiencies in support services and more teachers in the front line and has the full support of Green Councillors and MSPs.