Tag: labour-party

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Labour candidates forced to stay away or ‘rewrite the Labour manifesto’ as they face the public in hustings across Scotland

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At a hustings in Ayr last night, a source said of the troubled Labour candidate for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, Elaine Stewart : The Labour candidate rewrote the Labour manifesto. She claims Labour support settling with the WASPI women. Also she had a great line when she said” that once Labour have established the financial position they will increase taxes, if needed. Another told us she expressed support for putting an end to the House of Lords. These are all expressions of support quite contrary to the Labour manifesto and reveal deep contradictions in the Labour campaign here. Recently, on … Continue reading Labour candidates forced to stay away or ‘rewrite the Labour manifesto’ as they face the public in hustings across Scotland

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Major fixes are required for a failing UK state but the two main parties are in denial for partisan electoral reasons

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From stewartb There have been some escoriating assessments of the Tory and Labour manifestos for the upcoming General Election. They include the one below from the establishment-revered Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). When reading the extracts, written from a London/England-centric UK perspective, reflect on just how ‘distant’ – how lacking in effective agency — Scotland’s electorate and government are in all of this! The IFS is essentially arguing that major fixes are required for a failing UK state but that the two main parties are in denial for partisan electoral reasons. Within this Union, Scotland’s ability to influence the nature … Continue reading Major fixes are required for a failing UK state but the two main parties are in denial for partisan electoral reasons

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Making sure Labour get full credit for the PFI disaster costing Scots £30 billion

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By Professor John Robertson Deep into today’s BBC Northamptonshire, not BBC Scotland, of course, we read The NHS is currently grappling with the detrimental effects of inefficient Public-Private Partnerships (PFI) introduced by New Labour, which are siphoning off essential funds from patient care. How much? From SNP Media, in March 2023: From SNP Media today: The price of the biggest scandal of the Devolution era – Scottish Labour’s PFI catastrophe – continues to increase after it was revealed the cost to the public purse ballooned by an extra £1million every week in just the last year alone. In response to … Continue reading Making sure Labour get full credit for the PFI disaster costing Scots £30 billion

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Researchers reveal Labour will spend even less than the Tories on the NHS

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From the Observer, today, based on analysis by leading experts at the Nuffield Trust: Labour and the Conservatives would both leave the NHS with lower spending increases than during the years of Tory austerity, according to an independent analysis of their manifestos by a leading health thinktank. The assessment by the respected Nuffield Trust of the costed NHS policies of both parties, announced in their manifestos last week, says the level of funding increases would leave them struggling to pay existing staff costs, let alone the bill for massive planned increases in doctors, nurses and other staff in the long-term workforce plan agreed last … Continue reading Researchers reveal Labour will spend even less than the Tories on the NHS

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In NHS England, you’re almost TWICE as likely to have to wait more than 12 hours in A&E

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By stewartb Yet another ‘credible’ health body takes aim at Labour’s manifesto! In two recent press statements on A&E waiting times performance, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) noted: In May 2024, 10% of patients attending A&E in England spent 12 hour or longer there = 145,094 patients (statement issued on 13 June) In April 2024, 5.7% of patients attending A&E in Scotland spent 12 hours or more there = 6,412 patients (statement issued on 4 June). This marked difference in the percentage of patients experiencing long stays in A&E – demonstrating the much better (whilst still not good enough) situation in Scotland … Continue reading In NHS England, you’re almost TWICE as likely to have to wait more than 12 hours in A&E

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An enlarged and compliant group of Labour MPs is the last thing Scotland’s public services need in the face of damning assessments of their manifesto

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“The Labour Party has not set out an overall spending plan for health and social care in England. This makes it impossible to judge the plausibility of the party’s plans” (Institute for Fiscal Studies, June 13, 2024) – so why waste a vote in Scotland on Labour? By stewartb – a long read In the next UK parliament when all roads are STILL leading back to Westminster what can we expect from a Labour government of benefit to health and social care in Scotland? With Labour’s manifesto now published, It’s worth taking a look at reactions to its policy pledges. … Continue reading An enlarged and compliant group of Labour MPs is the last thing Scotland’s public services need in the face of damning assessments of their manifesto

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Will Central Ayrshire Labour candidate condemn his leader’s hypocritical use of a private jets funded by country where abuse of workers and women is rife?

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From the Irvine Times, today: Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds joined his party’s candidate for Central Ayrshire on a visit to Prestwick’s GE Caledonian site at the weekend. Mr Reynolds and candidate Alan Gemmell [OBE] were exploring the potential for future investment and jobs in Prestwick’s aerospace sector. From the Guardian on 31st May:: Keir Starmer has admitted travelling via ‘efficient’ private jet to Scotland ‘in the middle of a very busy general election campaign’, despite Labour having previously criticised Rishi Sunak for using aircraft to get around the country. Starmer was in Glasgow to talk about the party’s Great … Continue reading Will Central Ayrshire Labour candidate condemn his leader’s hypocritical use of a private jets funded by country where abuse of workers and women is rife?

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‘Ruling out tax rises undermines Sunak’s and Starmer’s credibility on public services’.

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By stewartb “I think Rishi Sunak’s credibility is completely destroyed ….” – there is a lot of this ‘credibility destroying’ about! From the Institute for Government (6 June 2024): ‘Ruling out tax rises undermines Sunak’s and Starmer’s credibility on public services’. This London-based, establishment-endorsed, centrist think tank states (with my emphasis): ‘… the promises on tax (coupled with promises to limit borrowing and debt) imply tight limits on public spending. It is not plausible to think that the next government can address existing major problems in public services without spending more than is currently pencilled in – or announcing cuts to some … Continue reading ‘Ruling out tax rises undermines Sunak’s and Starmer’s credibility on public services’.

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Will these Labour candidates in Ayrshire admit that they plan to support £18 billion in cuts to vital public services and to make child poverty even worse?

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Both of the above have been happy recently to accuse the SNP of a failure to eradicate child poverty in Ayrshire, regardless of the unique Child Payment in Scotland and the significantly lower rate of child poverty in Scotland than in England or Wales. In February 2024, The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) reported: The Autumn Statement forecasts were predicated on a fresh round of spending cuts. Public sector investment is planned to be frozen in cash terms, whereas maintaining investment (net of depreciation) at its current share of national income in 2028–29 would require an additional £20 billion of spending. … Continue reading Will these Labour candidates in Ayrshire admit that they plan to support £18 billion in cuts to vital public services and to make child poverty even worse?

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Scottish Labour virus in YouTube!

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By NMRN BBC Website Scotland page: There is now only one story in the top section of this page re the nasty political episode we recently witnessed with Dross U turning on his former decision on standing as an MP and choosing the seat of a sick colleague who himself stated he wanted to still stand as the chosen Tory candidate for that seat…..this story is the fifth story in their top section of stories (Soon I am sure to descend even lower as a story before it disappears completely)……..compare and contrast with the multitude of stories on Michael Mathieson which lasted for days/weeks which as headlines were all ‘attacks’ on Mr Mathieson and not as a story one that very quickly became a story via his colleagues defending him that was headlined as such by the BBC … Continue reading Scottish Labour virus in YouTube!