PoliticsUK

For events pertaining to the Glasgow region

GLASGOW - James Kelly (NPC)
Canvass

James Kelly, regional MSP for Glasgow, will make sure to ask the local Scottish Labour candidates to go out through the Glasgow region and canvass, speaking about plans for a stronger health and social care system under a Labour majority in Holyrood. He’ll have a leaflet prepared to hand out with the points of the day.

Stronger NHS: “Despite the best efforts of doctors and staff, NHS care in Scotland has lagged behind- and problems over the last decade have just been left to fester. We can do better. Scottish Labour is going to put effort into strengthening our NHS, from increasing funding to hiring new doctors and staff to eliminate the backlog in critical and crucial care services. Our programme will include modernising the NHS’s IT infrastructure to make care more efficient, and ramp up investment in care centers from diagnostic clinics to inpatient facilities to ensure that everyone can access the care they need. Scotland’s NHS has fallen behind, and Scottish Labour wants to recognise the hard work by doctors and staff while also making the bold and necessary steps to boost coverage for everyone.”

Free Social Care for All: “Scottish Labour took the first bold step in expanding the provision of free social care through our programme to provide at-home care in 2002. Since then, though, there’s been no progress as budgets have been cut and as the focus in Holyrood has been on other things. It’s time for us to get back to work, and Scottish Labour is ready to do it. We’ll expand access to free at-home care to all adults, we’ll strengthen the ability of local authorities to provide care through increased funding, and we’ll make sure we have a National Care Service that has strong standards of care while also being completely free at the point of use- fulfilling a promise made to those most vulnerable in our society decades and decades ago. Scottish Labour has a plan to get us to free social care for all- the only Party that does.”

Improving Mental Health: “Not every disability or injury is obvious and physical. There is no health without mental health, and Scottish Labour will embrace policies that move us towards parity of esteem between physical and mental health. Promises made over the last few years to increase access to mental health care- especially for children in need- have been missed and then promptly ignored. Scottish Labour will boost the share of NHS funding - from the current 8% up to a minimum of 11%- that goes to mental health, and build a network so that every GP’s office has access to a mental health professional to help identify those who might need assistance… and then work with existing providers to get that help. We’ll work to expand the provision of services so that those who have tried to make appointments and then are forced to wait can get the care they need to improve their mental health. More facilities, more carers, and more options for mental care: this is how Scottish Labour will meet the promises made on mental care that have yet to be kept .”

The following leaflet is handed out, focused on the themes of the day. There is a picture (and captions identifying names) for Scottish Labour candidates in the area and outlines of various local landmarks.

Stronger NHS:

• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR has a plan to boost investment in our NHS, focusing on new facilities and new staff to help care for all.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will boost the use of secure IT in healthcare to improve the quality and efficiency of care, working to eliminate a backlog of care of all types.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will expand access to diagnostic services and treatments of all types though new centers nation-wide.

Free Social Care for All:

• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will enact the bold vision to expand at-home personal care to all adults.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will invest in carers- from professionals to those taking care of family members- and treat them like the heroes they are.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will finish what was started nearly 20 years ago: a National Care Service that helps our senior population as well as all vulnerable adults, for free.

Improving Mental Health:

• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will make mental health the priority it ought to be by boosting funding from 8% of the NHS budget to a minimum of 11%.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will fulfill the promises made to eliminate the backlog in accessing mental care- particularly for children- though investments and new strategies.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will ensure there are enough mental health professionals so that every GP has access to one they can refer patients to- making it easier than ever to get mental care.

GLASGOW - Pam Duncan-Glancy (NPC)
Canvass

Pam Duncan-Glancy, a previous Labour MSP candidate in Glasgow North, will make sure to ask the local Scottish Labour candidates to go out through the Glasgow region and canvass, speaking about the importance of climate action- and how Scottish Labour will push for action while promoting jobs and employment in communities throughout the Glasgow region. She’ll have a leaflet prepared to hand out with the points of the day.

Helping Homeowners and Renters Reduce Costs: “A pro-green effort doesn’t just mean planting lots of trees; it should involve helping those who bear the burden of high energy costs reduce what they have to pay. As part of our efforts to help urban areas go green, Scottish Labour will establish a national housing agency that will work with local authorities on energy efficiency schemes, helping to defray the costs of improving insulation and reducing energy usage in everyone’s home- reducing your energy costs while helping our environment at the same time. We’ll introduce grants and interest-free loans for people to improve their homes’ energy efficiency, making it so that you don’t have to pay all those costs yourselves. And we’ll make sure that we pursue policies to lower energy costs through greater investment in renewable energy- which again means there’s less cost for you in your energy bills.”

Creating Lasting Green Jobs: “Going green is a huge opportunity to create jobs-particularly in urban areas. There are lots of projects that will need to be done, and Scottish Labour’s efforts to keep as many of those projects done locally will mean high-paying, high-quality jobs in Glasgow and throughout Scotland. We’ll establish a Conservation Corps, creating 10,000 jobs, which will work in and around cities to expand green spaces and help people with energy conservative projects. Our investments in green manufacturing- including supporting companies that want to transition to lower-pollution methods of production- will provide financial support to innovative businesses and those businesses that want to expand in the development of green technologies. Alongside this, we would establish the Scottish Energy Development Agency to coordinate the growth in renewable energy production including in skills and training. It would work closely with the Scottish National Investment Bank to invest in the development of the domestic supply chain. This means more jobs, all while we’re fighting the impacts of climate change in Scotland.”

Boosting Transit Options: “We know cars are important for getting around, and so much of our transport infrastructure is built around cars. If we want to be serious about fighting against climate change, we need to make investments… not mandates. While you have the Green Party talking about banning this and shutting off that, Scottish Labour knows that you need policies that don’t cause unnecessary disruptions. To that end, Scottish Labour will invest in interest-free government loans to help more low and middle income households to buy electric cars over the next two years and accelerate the roll-out of electric charging points with an initial focus on areas with the least access. We’ll be investing in alternative transit modes as well, including reducing bus fares and investing in Scottish-made low-emission busses to create jobs and a cleaner mode of transport. And we’ll provide financial incentives for ride-sharing, for taking bikes, or walking where you can during your commutes… so that going green doesn’t have cost you, but actually give you real benefits!”

The following leaflet is handed out, focused on the themes of the day. There is a picture (and captions identifying names) for Scottish Labour candidates in the area and lots of environmentally-friendly projects (which are being worked on by workers that look happy like they’re paid well)

Helping Homeowners and Renters Reduce Costs

• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR has a plan to provide financial support to homeowners and renters to increase the energy efficiency of their homes.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will diversify energy production with the aim of lowering the costs of energy to everyone.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will ensure that efforts to “go green” don’t come at the cost of urban and suburban lifestyles.

Creating Lasting Green Jobs

• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will establish a 10,000-job strong Conservation Corps to provide jobs while engaging in projects to fight climate change.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will invest in Scottish businesses to help them go green and to produce high-value green technologies to boost employment while reducing our climate impact.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will establish an Energy Development Agency to train workers AND help them find green-related jobs that are right for them.

Boosting Transit Options

• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will make funding available for everyone to buy an electric car and invest in the necessary infrastructure.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will expand alternative transit options- making sure that moving to greener transport doesn’t become a stealth tax on your life.
• Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will reduce bus fares and invest in local-made low-emission vehicles to make it easy to get around while also saving the environment.