Priorities

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Helen supports our excellent teachers to raise attainment and continues to lobby for much needed new schools. We seriously need an honest debate about the unacceptable pressure that our teachers and support staff are under. Helen campaigned for Highland Council to declare a School Estate Emergency, shining a spotlight on the urgent need to improve school conditions across the region. In her first year as a Councillor, she successfully led the fight to reverse the prevailing partner rate payable to Early Learning and Childcare - ensuring that vital local services remain sustainable.

Helen is a vocal Champion for  thriving high streets, advocating for local, sustainable economic growth, and speaking at events such as Scotland's Trade Fair.  Helen is calling for the flawed VISITOR LEVY legislation to be sent back to the Scottish Parliament for fulsome amendment on the basis that we need to protect our homegrown hospitality sector, not regulate them out of existence. The levy is unfairly based on turnover and will have significant adminstration costs. 

Helen has organised and chaired various Community Council Conventions on the Impact of Major Energy Infrastructure on rural communities. The Conventions are  calling for applications to be paused until a clear national policy on energy infrastructure and the cumulative impacts is published by Government. Helen stands up for local residents concerned about mega pylons, battery storage, mega substations, multiple hydro, new phase mega wind turbines, lorry parks and workers camps and continues to champion the Highland Convention’s call to PAUSE for a proper national strategy. 

We need to have an EVIDENCE based review of why affordable homes are so hard to come by because this is undoubtedly one contributing factor to depopulation. A start would be to review Scottish Landlord and Tenant legislation so that good landlords are encouraged back into the market, to provide good homes at good rates, on a long term basis. 

Our main arterial routes need major upgrades with the A9, A82 and A96 well known for being dangerous. Over the last 10 years we have seen three new motorways being constructed in the Central Belt so we know that investment is being targetted elsewhere. We need to reverse that and ensure that our roads are fit for purpose and that a fair share of investment, which is YOUR taxed income, makes its way to The Highlands.