Tag: labour

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Many in Scotland will soon wish that they had voted YES in 2014

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By Anonymous I think this “notion” on the SNP increasing their lead over Labour in a succession of polls may just continue. Labour , since taking power in July, then announced measures that they declared would be “painful” for many of us , but the purpose behind these “painful” actions were apparently, to implement a plan for them , as a government, to then deliver long term growth. So as many now suffer for what Labour have stated is for the ‘greater’ good i.e. Growth , then we hear today that the: “UK economy unexpectedly shrinks for second month in a row“ “Official figures showed a 0.1% drop, despite expectations that … Continue reading Many in Scotland will soon wish that they had voted YES in 2014

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Labour voters’ support for the two-child benefit cap is wrong

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Feed all my children? On my wife’s income from my mother’s poverty pay business, I can afford to pay school fees as well. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Thanks to JR for alerting me to this. From the Spectator, yesterday: A Norstat poll for The Sunday Times revealed that 34 per cent of Labour voters in Scotland oppose John Swinney’s move to abolish the two-child cap, while only 31 per cent support its reversal. Despite the Scottish Greens blasting the Conservative policy as ‘morally bankrupt’, the party’s voters were the biggest proponents of the policy with only a quarter of the … Continue reading Labour voters’ support for the two-child benefit cap is wrong

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Childcare – BBC Scotland’s attempts to hide SNP achievements while praising Labour ambitions

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By Brenda Robb Some of you hardier souls might remember Radio Scotland’s focus on childcare a couple of weeks ago. They were asking why Scotland wasn’t offering the same as England, inviting parents to share how disappointed/let down/betrayed they felt and even organised a Better Call Kaye phone-in to amplify the above messaging. This was of course backed up by the following article on the BBC Scotland webpage  (www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr7nyxvy50ro) and we also had an attempt at a UK wide comparison of provision here (www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-62036045). The comparison article jumps between what England currently provides and what it hopes to do, nods to … Continue reading Childcare – BBC Scotland’s attempts to hide SNP achievements while praising Labour ambitions

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SNP aim to make Labour Lords bill what it should be if Sir Keir hadn’t sabotaged it

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The National, two days ago, had this strange headline: SNP plot to sabotage Labour’s House of Lords bill It’s as if the writer imagines them muttering darkly in the bowels of Westminster, like G Fawkes and his team in 1605. When you read on, you do see: SNP deputy leader Pete Wishart will lodge an amendment to see the Lords abolished entirely, but he will also lodge a further amendment to force peers to pay income tax on their parliamentary pay. The tax-free pay — currently worth up to £361 per day — is payable to members of the House of Lords for … Continue reading SNP aim to make Labour Lords bill what it should be if Sir Keir hadn’t sabotaged it

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Labour councillor charged with domestic abuse…by Wimbledon Guardian, Enfield Independent, Penarth Times but BBC Scotland still working on making the headline too long to include ‘Labour’

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Searched for BBC Stephen McCabe charged and got the above. The BBC Scotland site below: Struggling to catch up with the McCabe charge story but still hanging on to the Salmond not-a-charge, non-story? Scotland’s media long-standing double standards on sex offences: In 2021: SNP MP accused of sexual harassment makes news. BBC Scotland have him. The Herald has him twice: Tory MP actually sentenced following two assaults? BBC UK have him….no wait…..they’ve got the SNP MP again: Maybe the Tory MP story is fake news? The BBC has responsibilities you know? There’s no sign of a BBC report but the … Continue reading Labour councillor charged with domestic abuse…by Wimbledon Guardian, Enfield Independent, Penarth Times but BBC Scotland still working on making the headline too long to include ‘Labour’

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Yet another ‘trial by media’ attempt against the SNP

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By Anonymous Omission being just as important as misinformation in the ‘News where you are”. However BBC Scotland are not alone in bad reporting. I noted online, via Twitter, a headline in yesterday’s ‘Sunday Post’ “Investigation into SNP finances drags on as experts say the Police need 1000 more officers” and under this headline they also state “just 30 specialists available to tackle £20 billion crimewave“. You would be forgiven in thinking that all of the above in that headline and also what was written underneath it was all pertaining to the Police investigation into the SNP finances. However if you read the content of the story underneath you will see the ‘extra’ officers and the “£20 … Continue reading Yet another ‘trial by media’ attempt against the SNP

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SNP Minister’s second letter to Liz Kendall ignored by media

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Two days ago, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville wrote again to the UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall: Dear Liz, I am writing to you to express further concerns, following the publication of the UK Government’s equality analysis on the impact of the introduction of a means-tested Winter Fuel Payments, which shows that across all assessed characteristics those affected by this change in policy will greatly outnumber those unaffected. The Scottish Government continues to support vulnerable households from fuel poverty through a range of actions within our limited devolved powers. This year alone, we are spending £134 … Continue reading SNP Minister’s second letter to Liz Kendall ignored by media

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More than 100 000 Scots pensioners to lose winter fuel allowance and Scottish Labour MPs all knew this BEFORE they voted to end it

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From Factchecker, The Canary, today: The new Labour Party government is stripping winter fuel payments from 1.6 million pensioners living in poverty this winter. This is according to a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister – showing that Labour knew this – but are ploughing ahead anyway. DWP minister Emma Reynolds disclosed the information in response to two written questions from MPs. The first was from Labour MP for Lowestoft Jess Asato. She tabled the question on 30 August. Of course, this was a little under two weeks before she voted with the government to strip pensioners of it. https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/09/20/winter-fuel-payments-cut-poverty-dwp/?__s=kkn8su7rxte9tzdcocwy With 8% of the population, that means more than … Continue reading More than 100 000 Scots pensioners to lose winter fuel allowance and Scottish Labour MPs all knew this BEFORE they voted to end it

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Who constitutes the country? Surely, families in poverty are part of that?

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By Alasdair Macdonald ’Country before Party’ is what the Labour manifesto pledged. Setting aside for the moment what ‘country’ connotes, how does Ms McNeill and other Labour MPs justify their decision to support the continuation of the ‘two-child benefit cap’? Their argument is that ‘the country(?) cannot afford it at present. But, who constitutes the country? Surely, families in poverty are part of that? And, why are they in poverty? Because they have not got enough money even though, in most cases, at least one member of the family is in paid employment, and wages are low, hours are few … Continue reading Who constitutes the country? Surely, families in poverty are part of that?

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As political leaders in Wales and NI join Labour’s Chancellor in condemning 14 years of Tory damage, BBC Scotland reveals Labour’s plan to persuade voters here to blame the Scottish Government instead.

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By stewartb It’s been instructive to compare and contrast the reporting of the Labour PM’s initial visits to Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. Northern Ireland The BBC News website (July 8) on its NI page has this headline: ‘What does the Labour government mean for NI?’ The BBC’s NI economics and business editor provides context: ‘The single most important influence on Stormont’s budget is the spending policy of the Westminster government. Most of what Stormont spends is the ‘block grant’ which comes from Westminster.’ (my emphasis) And adds: ‘For years the Stormont parties have complained about the negative impacts of “Tory … Continue reading As political leaders in Wales and NI join Labour’s Chancellor in condemning 14 years of Tory damage, BBC Scotland reveals Labour’s plan to persuade voters here to blame the Scottish Government instead.