9 May 2017

JOHN SMITH'S WIDOW BACKS IAN MURRAY

The widow of former Labour leader John Smith has backed Ian Murray's bid for re-election in Edinburgh South.

Elizabeth Smith, an Edinburgh South resident, said that Ian Murray speaks up for ordinary people – the very reason John Smith got into politics.

John Smith served in the cabinet in the 1970s, and was Labour leader at the time of his death in 1994.

Elizabeth Smith said:

"My late husband, John Smith, said: 'Why would anyone go into politics unless it was to speak up for people who can't speak up for themselves?' Ian has always spoken up for ordinary people."

Ian Murray said:

"I am honoured to have Elizabeth Smith's backing in my bid to beat the Nationalists in Edinburgh South. John Smith was my political hero, and his legacy was the reason I stood for election in the first place.

"I have a strong track record of standing up for people here in Edinburgh South, and I want the opportunity to carry on doing that.

"We know that it's a two horse race between me and the Nationalists. The only way to send a message to Nicola Sturgeon that people don't want another divisive independence referendum is to vote Labour on 8 June."

Yesterday, I kicked off our General Election campaign in Rutherglen.

Like most communities in Scotland, families here are currently represented by the SNP at Westminster.

Margaret Ferrier, like so many of her colleagues, promised to ‘stand up for Scotland’ yet has done nothing but seek division and campaign for an unwanted second independence referendum.

The people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West deserve better.

They deserve a hard-working local MP who will stand up for local families, and that’s what they will get by voting for Ged Killen, our fantastic General Election candidate.

Last week’s council elections proved that only Labour can defeat the SNP in seats such as Rutherglen.

We were a very close second to the Nationalists, with the Tories a distant third.

The same is true in Inverclyde, Midlothian, Glasgow East and elsewhere across the central belt, while Labour is now in pole position in places such as Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, East Lothian and Edinburgh South.

Tory leader Ruth Davidson has been crowing about last week’s results, claiming her party is in the ascendency from the Borders to the Highlands.

Unfortunately, she forgot about everywhere in between. That’s where only Labour can beat the SNP.

Much has been made about the Tories’ slight revival in Glasgow, but it was Labour which prevented the Nationalists from securing their top priority of a majority on Glasgow Council.

SNP MPs across Glasgow will now be incredibly nervous about their future job prospects – and so they should.

Across Scotland, we defied the experts. Opinion polls had us on 14 per cent, and pundits said we would lose every single council. In fact, we won three, tied with the SNP in the fourth and came within one seat of the Nationalists in North Lanarkshire and West Lothian.

And the SNP lost its majorities in Dundee and Angus, with its overall vote share across Scotland plummeting from 50 per cent in 2015 to 32 per cent. The tide has turned.

And the reason for that is clear. People are fed up with Nicola Sturgeon’s attempt to force another divisive independence referendum on the people of Scotland.

With 4,000 fewer teachers in our schools, and local NHS services facing cuts and closure, people want the Nationalists to focus on the day job.

So as we look ahead to the General Election, the hard, simple truth is that in many of Scotland’s towns and cities, the only way to defeat the SNP is to vote Labour.

At this election, people shouldn’t take the risk of voting SNP. In 2015, Labour warned that a vote for the SNP would help the Tories back into Number Ten. That’s exactly what happened, and now we have the chaos of Brexit and the threat of a second independence referendum.

The only way that people across Scotland can reject this Tory Government and reject the threat of a divisive second independence referendum is to vote Labour on June 8.

This article originally appeared in the Daily Record on 09/05/17

9 May 2017

Labour has challenged the Tories and the SNP to gurantee the rights of EU nationals living in Scotland

Today is Europe day, and Kez Dugdale has confirmed that EU nationals will have their rights guranteed by a Labour government.

Now it's time for Ruth Davidson to do the same

Kez said:

“The Tories have used people like poker chips since the EU referendum. It’s sickening, it’s wrong and it needs to stop.

“Labour’s manifesto will guarantee the rights of EU nationals. This goes to the very heart about who we are as a country. There are over 180,000 EU nationals currently living and working in Scotland and they make a rich contribution to our society and economy.

"In Edinburgh, EU nationals are vital to our capital's economy, and Ian Murray will always fight for their rights in Edinburgh South.

“Ruth Davidson and the Scottish Tories need to match Labour’s commitment and guarantee beyond doubt that EU nationals will be able to continue to live and work in Scotland after we leave the EU.

“Nicola Sturgeon needs to stop destabilising Scotland's economy and take the threat of a second independence referendum off the table.

“Labour believes that together we’re stronger.  Our country is divided enough. It is time to start healing the scars of both 2014 and 2016. That’s why a vote for Labour on June 8 is a vote against another divisive independence referendum and against a hard Tory Brexit."

Share our values? Then spread our message. 
 

Official figures published today have confirmed that the Sturgeon surge has turned into a ‘Sturgeon slump’.

Labour’s General Election campaign manager James Kelly said Nicola Sturgeon can no longer claim to speak for all of Scotland having secured less than a third of votes in last week’s council elections.

The Electoral Management Board for Scotland data shows that nationally the SNP vote stands at 32 per cent – dramatically down 18 points on its 2015 General Election showing.

Labour defied the pollsters to win three councils, tie in first place in one more, and was just one seat behind the SNP in another two.

The figures show that voters are turning their backs on the SNP on the basis of a divisive second independence referendum.

Labour General Election campaign manager James Kelly said:

“It’s official – the Sturgeon surge has turned into a Sturgeon slump with the threat of a divisive second independence referendum hanging over Scotland.

“How can Nicola Sturgeon claim to speak for all of Scotland having secured less than a third of the vote?

“In 2015 the SNP secured half of the Scottish vote, and these official figures show that has now plummeted by 18 points.

“It is clear that more and more people are getting sick and tired of the SNP’s obsession with dividing us again.

“Labour believes that together we’re stronger. That is why the only way that people across Scotland can reject this Tory Government and reject the threat of a divisive second independence referendum is to vote Labour on June 8."

6 May 2017

LABOUR WILL ONLY AGREE TO ANTI-AUSTERITY COUNCIL POWER-SHARING DEALS

Labour’s Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) today agreed that Labour council groups will only agree to anti-austerity power-sharing deals in local government.

The SEC, which includes leader Kezia Dugdale, deputy leader Alex Rowley, MSPs, trade union representatives and constituency representatives, agreed that council groups will be required to ensure that ‘no power-sharing arrangement will mean increased austerity that will disproportionately impact on the poorest communities’.

All local Labour groups will be required to apply to a working group of the SEC to set out in detail the policy aims of any proposed administration.

The policy priorities will have to be drawn from Labour’s vision for local government, and must oppose any compulsory job redundancies in local government and oppose any further austerity to that already imposed by the SNP and Tory governments.

Since 2011, the SNP has cut £1.5billion from local services – including £170million this year alone.

Scottish Labour deputy leader and local government campaign manager Alex Rowley said:

“Following this week’s elections, Labour remains a major party of local government.

“The SNP failed to win a single majority anywhere in Scotland, and the nature of the voting system means that cross-party deals may be agreed.

“Labour’s approach is clear and consistent: we will categorically refuse to do any deal with another party if it would result in further austerity being imposed on local communities.

“Labour values must run through any deals: the defence of local services against cuts; and the proper funding of the services so many people rely on such as education and care for the elderly.

“Additionally, we will require any power-sharing administrations to protect jobs by opposing any compulsory redundancies.

“Every Labour councillor will always put their local communities first. They will fight against Tory attempts to drive down living standards and will not be distracted by campaigning for a divisive second independence referendum.”