John Mason, the new Member of Parliament for Glasgow East, has delivered his ‘maiden speech’ to the House of Commons. Speaking during a debate on democracy and human rights late yesterday evening (Monday 13 October) Mr Mason covered a number of themes.

The East End MP paid tribute to his long-serving predecessor, David Marshall, wishing him a speedy recovery from his period of ill-health. Mr Mason then went on to highlight the economic factors that lay behind his election victory in July.

During the debate, John Mason said: “The people of Glasgow East elected me to send a message to the Prime Minister and now I am here to deliver it. That message is clear and simple. It’s time for action to help hard-pressed households who are struggling to make ends meet with the soaring cost of food and fuel.”

During the debate, Mr Mason flatly rejected the notion that his constituency was ‘an area of uniform devastation’ – a false impression propagated by some during July’s by-election campaign. He went on to welcome recent Scottish Government action to increase affordable housing availability in the city, called for lottery funding to be allocated to help provide a lasting legacy for the East End from the 2014 Commonwealth Games and criticised Glasgow City Council for allowing local school buildings to fall into disrepair over a period of decades.

Mr Mason pledged that whenever a measure was brought before the House of Commons – from whatever colour of Government – he would assess it by asking the question “Does this measure narrow or widen the gap between rich and poor?”