Gordon Brown offers condolences to friends of Red Road ‘suicide’ family

The Labour MP for Glasgow North East has discussed the apparent suicide of three Russian asylum seekers with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Willie Bain met with Mr Brown following the death of a Russian family - thought to be be Serguei Serykh, 43, his wife Tatiana and his stepson - on Wednesday. They are thought to have jumped from the 15th floor of the Red Road flats in Petershill Drive, Springburn at the weekend.

Following the meeting, Mr Bain said: "I met with the Prime Minister today and conveyed to him the shock of my local community at the weekend’s events. This is a terrible tragedy that has impacted upon all of us.

"The sad irony is that I visited the area on Saturday and witnessed the important work being carried out by the Red Road Integration Network, which provides support and assistance to asylum seekers, and involves the wider community.

"The Prime Minister asked that I pass on his sincere condolences to the deceased’s friends and family, and expressed his support for the people of Springburn at this time.

Mr Bain added: "We talked about the asylum system, in particular how we can publicise the support network available to applicants and what measures can be put in place to better support those whose cases have been fully determined.

"The fact that this family had their application for asylum from Canada is very unusual indeed. The Prime Minister agreed with me that this case appears to be exceptional, and should not be viewed as emblematic of the asylum system as a whole.

"Finally, I reiterated to the Prime Minister that Springburn welcomes people of all backgrounds and that Glasgow as a whole is a very warm, friendly place to live, despite this tragic event."

Mr Bain was elected to the House of Commons last year following the Glasgow North East by-election sparked by the resignation of speaker Michael Martin.

Mr Bain’s meeting came after Paul Martin, the MSP for Springburn, told STV News that moving people from the Red Road flats is a long-term project and could take up to ten years to complete. In the short-term, he said that he will continue to work closely with the YMCA and Glasgow City Council to carry out improvements to living conditions.

He added: "While Red Road is a transient community, people here care for each other and there is a real spirit."

FURTHER INFORMATION

More About Red Road Flats