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Author Archives: Scottish Labour Party Blog

A school holiday grant would help thousands of families

4 June 2017

The summer holidays are just around the corner, and with that can mean a real squeeze on household budgets, especially for the poorest families.

Earlier this week the Evening Times reported that parents were skipping meals during the holidays to feed their own children.

That’s why Labour has a plan for a school holiday grant which would help nearly a quarter of a million Scottish children.

The grant would be a £100 payment, per child, to the poorest families at the beginning of the summer holidays and over Christmas, and would be available from the birth of the child till they were sixteen.

School Holiday Grant: the numbers

– £100 paid twice a year at the start of the summer and Christmas holidays
– 150,000 families would benefit
– 237,000kids would be better off

Scottish Labour would give a twice-yearly £100 seasonal grant to families who qualify for free school meals extended to include pre-schoolers in low income families, to help them out at these expensive times of the year.

You can read our plans to tackle child poverty in full here.

Here’s what Kez has to say about the grant:

“Labour’s plans for school holiday grants could have a transformational effect for the poorest families.  The school holidays are just around the corner and they can hit family finances hard.

“That’s why Labour would put more money into the pockets of working class families.

“That’s the kind of change Labour can deliver. That’s why on June 8 people should elect Labour MPs fighting for working class families, not SNP MPs who will only fight for another referendum.”

Like our plan? Then help spread our message.
 

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Scottish Labour

THE TIDE IS TURNING AGAINST THE NATIONALISTS – ALISTAIR DARLING

THE TIDE IS TURNING AGAINST THE NATIONALISTS – ALISTAIR DARLING

The tide is turning against the Nationalists as more and more voters demand they get back to the day job instead of campaigning for another divisive independence referendum, Alistair Darling said.

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of the successful Better Together campaign spoke with voters in East Renfrewshire today, where Labour candidate Blair McDougall is best placed to defeat the SNP.

While Nationalists marched in Glasgow in support of another divisive independence referendum, Labour stepped up its campaign against more SNP attempts to divide the country.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of Better Together Alistair Darling said:

“The tide is turning against the Nationalists. More and more people across Scotland just want the SNP to get on with the day job, and drop its plans for another unwanted and unnecessary referendum. 

“Instead of campaigning for better standards in our schools and hospitals, once again the Nationalists have taken to the streets to campaign for another divisive independence referendum. It shows how badly out of touch the Nationalists have become with what the majority in Scotland want.

“In seats throughout the country, for example in East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh South and East Lothian, Labour is best placed to defeat the Nationalists.

“On June 8 voters can back a local Labour champion who will fight for better schools and hospitals, or an SNP candidate who will spend every day campaigning for another divisive independence referendum.”

Blair McDougall said:

“At the last General Election it was a straight contest between Labour and the SNP in East Renfrewshire. Despite rejecting nationalism in 2014 by overwhelmingly voting to remain in the UK, our area is represented by the SNP because the pro-Union vote was split.

“If voters in East Renfrewshire want to send Nicola Sturgeon a message that we don’t want another divisive independence referendum then they have to vote Labour on June 8.”

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Scottish Labour