Emails from MSP Annabelle Ewing

The following emails are the correspondence from MSP Annabelle Ewing and our Chair James Glen, in response to our invitation to attend the MAG public meeting being held on the 17th May 2019 at Lochgelly Town Hall starting from 7pm

Email 1 of 8

Invitation to Mossmorran Public Meeting

James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
8 May 2019 at 10:27
To: “Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP”
Dear Annabelle Ewing MSP,

The environmental impacts of the flaring at Mossmorran which began on Easter Sunday have been unprecedented in their intensity and geographical reach. Expressions of public concern to SEPA, on social media and to the Mossmorran Action Group (MAG) have been equally unprecedented.

The MAG interactive map of social impacts currently contains 261 entries:

Social Impacts

In response to popular demand, we are organising a public meeting in Lochgelly on 17 May to allow those involved with the issue to come together.

The purposes of the meeting are

– to share any updates the operators and regulatory bodies may have about the plant’s operations and impact
– to allow local residents to share their experiences and ask questions
– to discuss ways forward

We expect a number of councillors, MSPs and MPs to attend as well as media.

We very much hope that you will be able to attend. I have attached an agenda for your consideration and a poster advertising the event.

Kind regards

James Glen
(Chair – Mossmorran Action Group)

*** Disclaimer: This message may contain privileged and/or confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error or are not the intended recipient, you may not use, copy, disseminate or distribute it; do not open any attachments, delete it immediately from your system and notify the sender promptly by e-mail that you have done so. Thank you. ***

2 attachments

DRAFT AGENDA.docx
84K

mossmorran-2019-updated.pdf
1220K

Email 2 of 8

Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP
8 May 2019 at 10:50
To: James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
Cc: [REDACTED]
James,

Please clarify who you have actually invited and who has further to that invitation actually confirmed their attendance.

Also, why are you placing one political party in a different position from others?

Thanks for letting me know.

Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath Constituency

Sent from my iPad
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Email 3 of 8

James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
8 May 2019 at 15:55
To: “Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP”
Cc: [REDACTED]
Hi Annabelle,

Thanks for your email.

Since it is a public meeting, obviously everyone is invited, but individual invitations have also been sent to elected members at Fife House, Holyrood and Westminster.

We are continuing to pursue Shell & ExxonMobil to attend, and I think we wrote to you a few days ago asking you to press Exxon to attend. Did you do that? What was their response?

I don’t know what your final question refers to – please clarify.

If you have the ear of either the Health Secretary or the Environment Secretary, could you please urge them to take up the invitation sent to them last week?

After the First Minister’s reply to you (“I am very clear, however, that the company must take steps to minimise the frequency and adverse impacts on the local community”), I think people will be very disappointed if no one from the Scottish Government attends the public meeting to emphasise and amplify this message.

Kind regards

James
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Email 4 of 8

Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP
8 May 2019 at 16:07
To: James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
Cc: [REDACTED]
Dear James,

Thanks for your email.

I have suggested to Exxon that they attend.

Obviously, whether they do or not is not a matter within my control

Ditto the SG. In any event, not sure when you sent the invite? Their diaries tend to be filled up months in advance.

Re the panel, you seem to be proposing to have en elected rep from the Labour Party only on your panel. Bit surprised tbh as thought you said MAG was non party political.

Annabelle

Sent from my iPad
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Email 5 of 8

James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
8 May 2019 at 16:31
To: “Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP”
Cc: [REDACTED]
Dear Annabelle

Thanks for your email.

The panel is not party political just as MAG isn’t or the vast majority of people who want something done about Mossmorran – we all feel this isn’t and shouldn’t be a party political issue, despite the efforts of some party supporters to make it so.

Lesley Laird is not on the panel because she is an elected representative. She is there because she is the instigator and organiser of the cross-party Mossmorran working group, which has done more to hold Mossmorran to account in the last two years than any of the Fife Council committees/groups in decades. Laird set up her group as a result of the first MAG public meeting, and it therefore seems right she should be at the second to report on progress and future work for the group.

Two spaces have been reserved for the Health and Environment Secretaries, and as I wrote before, I very much hope you will urge them or their deputies to attend. Lochgelly is not far from Edinburgh and diaries can be cleared if an event is deemed important enough.

As they are SNP ministers, some might argue that the SNP has been given a disproportionately large platform, as there are no LibDem, Conservative or Green elected members – despite the latter two having been extremely active on this issue in the persons of Mark Ruskell and Darren Watt.

I am sure you would not want Mossmorran to become a party political football. To this end, I very much hope we can rely on you signing Mark Ruskell’s motion S5M-17092.

Kind regards

James
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Email 6 of 8

Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP
8 May 2019 at 16:44
To: James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
Cc: [REDACTED]
Dear James,

I can assure you that I have been working hard as the elected constituency MSP over a period of time to seek to address my constituent’s concerns.

You do not seem to want to recognise that. That is a matter for you. Others may wonder why.

Notwithstanding, I will continue to fight for my constituents.

Best wishes,

Annabelle

Sent from my iPad
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Email 7 of 8

James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
8 May 2019 at 17:01
To: “Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP”
Cc: [REDACTED]
Dear Annabelle,

I am pleased to hear it, but just “working hard for your constituents” which is what elected representatives are supposed to do does not entitle them to one of the limited places on the panel.

I hope you will take the opportunity at the public meeting to tell us all what you have been doing, and more importantly what you have achieved in terms getting the impacts from Mossmorran either assessed or reduced – as this is what everyone is looking for. People are sick fed up of words from politicians – they want to see actions.

I am glad that you will continue to fight for your constituents and I trust this will include signing the motion by Mark Ruskell and urging your colleagues to attend on the panel.

Kind regards

James

Email 8 of 8

Ewing A (Annabelle), MSP
8 May 2019 at 17:08
To: James Glen [EMAIL ADDRESS REDACTED]
Cc: [REDACTED]
Dear James,

Many thanks for your further email.

As you are not my constituent in fact now, you may not be aware of what I have been doing.

That does not change the fact that I have sought to raise my constituents’ concerns though meetings, correspondence, questions in Parliament, including to the First Minister, and so forth.

To suggest otherwise is neither fair nor factual.

See you at the meeting.

Annabelle

Sent from my iPad

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