West Scotland

[Sir Dylan Macmillan]

For events pertaining to the West Scotland region

[Heather Whitmore]

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Billboard

[Dr. James Webster]

Jackie Baillie - West Scotland
Speech:

Jackie Baillie , MSP for Dumbarton, was in West Scotland to speak about Scottish Labour’s plans to invest in the economy, protect jobs, and increase wages in Scotland- and how it was time Scotland had a change from years of cuts from the SNP. She was there with other Scottish Labour candidates, spending time to meet with voters.

We simply cannot carry on with business as usual. The SNP have damaged our communities cut by cut, and have allowed hundreds of thousands of Scots to earn less than our living wage. Poverty is increasing throughout Scotland. Since the Great Recession, Scotland has grown at half the rate as the rest of the United Kingdom. The SNP have let Scotland down. We need a Government that will do better. A Government that will create a new economy that works for all of us. One that promotes high paying jobs and grows the Scottish Economy throughout Scotland. That is ready to invest in Scotland, instead of continuing to hold us back cut by cut. Cuts to transportation, cuts to infrastructure, cuts to our environmental agencies, cuts to higher education, cuts to our communities. Over the past decade the SNP has loved cuts just as much as the Tories. The Scottish Labour party is the only party ready to make the necessary investment into Scotland to grow our economy and increase prosperity in Scotland. We are going to promote a new green economy in Scotland, and unlike the SNP we will deliver.

The SNP and Scottish Greens have failed to create the green economy they promised. Delivering only a fraction of the results they promised. They only created 1700 green jobs in 2018 but promised over 28,000 green jobs. They promised to make Scotland the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy. The SNP likes to make outlandish and unobtainable claims for what they can accomplish but they consistently under deliver. The SNP have also mismanaged Scotland’s manufacturing base and it will lead to closures and job loss in the near future. The Private company, Burntisland Fabrications Limited is barely holding on today and the SNP is not taking the necessary steps to save it. The SNP allowed a Canadian company to step up; instead of our government. The Scottish government only offered a small commercial loan to help. Nor are they promoting investment or encouraging growth in Scotland. We need to do better to help out emerging industries in Scotland. The SNP cutting infrastructure spending throughout Scotland over the last thirteen years have led to a weaker economy in Scotland and it’s time that Scotland had a change. Scotland deserves better.

Too many of us today are working for low-paid and insecure work. Hundreds of thousands of workers in Scotland earn less than a living wage, and tens of thousands work on zero hour contracts. Most people are earning less than they did after inflation than just ten years ago. The SNP have failed workers in Scotland, we need a government prepared to raise wages, and promote employment security. Scottish Labour will fight to make sure that every worker in Scotland makes a living wage. Unlike the SNP, Scottish Labour will end the practice of zero hour contracts. Everyone deserves employment security. Only Scottish Labour is prepared to do that with the right legal protections and business investments to bring better, higher paying jobs to Scotland. The SNP have shown they are unable to do that and it’s time for a change in Scotland.

The Scottish Labour party is prepared to make the investments in Scottish infrastructure that we need in order to grow the Scottish Economy. In order to promote economic growth in Scotland, we are going to focus on the creation of high-skilled, high-paid jobs throughout Scotland. While focusing on improving job security. Our infrastructure plan is the best for Scotland as it promotes increased interconnectivity and allows for easier economic growth throughout all of Scotland. Which includes 5 billion pounds in rail improvements and expansion. Our investment will also focus on making sure that Scotland no longer lags behind the rest of the UK in both 4g and 5g coverage. The SNP have but over 810 billion pounds that was going to our local communities. Scottish Labour will end those cuts and restore investment back into our local communities. Scotland needs a government ready to invest in its economy for the future.

Scotland needs a change. The SNP have continued to fail Scotland. They have presided over Scotland’s wages decreasing and our economy growing slower than the rest of the UK. They have allowed poverty to once again go up. The Scottish Labour party will build a new economy. We need a government prepared to truly invest in Scotland, not promise the moon and fail to deliver anything. The SNP tore up Scottish investment cut by cut. The SNP’s mismanagement has led to a near collapse in Scottish manufacturing. Scottish Labour is prepared to make the investments in our economy to save our manufacturing sector and to grow our economy. Scottish workers deserve a living wage and employment security and only Scottish Labour is prepared to deliver that. It’s time for the change Scotland deserves. Both Votes for Labour and Make Scotland Count.

[Dr. James Webster]

Craig Anderson - West Scotland (NPC)
Canvas

Craig Anderson, regional MSP for West Scotland and constituency candidate for Eastwood, will make sure to ask the local Scottish Labour candidates to go out through the region and canvass, speaking about plans for how to improve infrastructure, environment, and transport under a Labour majority in Holyrood. He’ll have a leaflet prepared to hand out with the points of the day.


Improving interconnectivity: The SNP have made a number of promises about increasing interconnectivity in Scotland. They promised by 2021, Scotland would be the only Nation in the UK with complete access to superfast broadband to every home and business. However here we are in 2020, and it is clear for all to see that we will not reach that goal. The SNP have dismantled our bus systems, with many local routes disappearing and passenger numbers down by nearly 25% since 2007. The SNP have failed to meet their own cycling goal of 10% of all travel, however it’s been stuck at 1% for over a decade. We will deliver where the SNP failed. We will deliver superfast broadband to all of Scotland. Scottish Labour will increase cycling by working to improve urban planning to promote cycling and to make it safer. We will make sure Scottish Labour will repair the bus system and reopen many of the routes that the SNP cuts have forced to close. The SNP have failed to deliver for Scotland, and it’s time Scotland had a change. A Scottish Labour government will deliver for Scotland.

Tackling Climate Change: The SNP have failed Scotland in their failures and broken promises with addressing climate change. Do not forget that the Scottish Greens have allowed this government to fail to deliver on climate change and deserve as much blame as the SNP. This Government promised that the first Low Emission Zone would be established in 2018. Unfortunately the SNP announced plans that the first Low Emission Zone will be delayed until 2022. The SNP and Scottish Greens promised the creation of a public owned energy company, and they failed to deliver that. Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme has failed to deliver ultra-low emission busses for Scotland. At the rate of the SNP and Scottish Greens Government it will take 65 years before the whole fleet will be Ultra-Low Emissions. The SNP and Scottish Green Government made massive cuts to Scotland’s environmental budgets. Scotland needs a government ready to address Climate Change. One that doesn’t take the minimum amount of effort and passes it off as a massive success. No, Scottish Labour will deliver set Scotland on a course to have a full fleet of Ultra-Low Emissions busses by 2030. We will invest in renewable resources and reverse all cuts that the SNP and Scottish Green Governments have made to our environmental agencies. It’s time Scotland had a government ready to tackle climate change.

Fixing Scottish Transport: The SNP have presided over a failure to deliver the construction of new ferries in a timely and cost efficient manner. Delayed from 2018 to 2022 or 2023. This is ultimately a failure of the lack of strategic approach the SNP has to improving infrastructure throughout Scotland including the constant cancelation of the proposed Glasgow Airport Link. A Scottish Labour Government will deliver a strategic plan to improve infrastructure throughout Scotland, by committing to the 'Glasgow Metro' network plan. We will decarbonize Scottish rail in 15 years, and continue to expand rail lines to smaller towns and villages. A true Scottish rail plan must increase interconnectivity throughout Scotland and allow for faster and cleaner travel. A Scottish Labour Government will work to reopen a number closed and neglected rail lines, restoring them to before the SNP cuts. We will also create new requirements for any future ferry contracts to prevent massive delays and slow action that has resulted in the nearly four year delay of current expansion. Unlike the SNP, the Scottish Labour Party has a strategic plan to improve transport in Scotland. With a Scottish Labour Government we will truly have a government ready to improve our transport system.


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.

Improving interconnectivity:
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will deliver superfast broadband for all of Scotland.
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will reverse the cuts that the SNP have made to Bus Services and reopen the number of routes they closed.
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will increase cycling, by taking dedicated and well throughout action, including better urban planning to make cycling easier and safer.

Tackling Climate Change:
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will reverse the SNP’s and Scottish Green’s cuts to environmental agencies.
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will deliver a full fleet of Ultra-Low Emissions busses by 2030.
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will invest the resources we need in renewable energy to fight climate change.


Fixing Scottish Transport:
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will decarbonize the Scottish Rail system within 15 years.
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will continue to expand the rail line to more rural regions of Scotland.
Only SCOTTISH LABOUR will reopen a number of closed rail lines and restore services cut by the SNP.