GROWING the economy and getting people back to work are the things that matter and that’s what a Labour government in Scotland will focus on right from the word go.
That’s the pledge from Alex Rowley, Fife Labour Leader and Dunfermline and West Fife candidate in the forthcoming election.
He made the stark warning as Scottish Labour Leader, Iain Gray, said the Tories in their budget did not and will not address the number one issue in Scotland – jobs.
2000 people in Scotland lost their jobs last month – and unemployment in 18 to 24 year-olds is standing at nearly 3000 in Fife alone and continues to be ignored by the SNP Government at Holyrood.
Mr Gray has accused the Tory Chancellor, George Osborne, of bringing forward a ‘no growth budget’ that fails to tackle unemployment levels north of the border.
He said: “The Chancellor has admitted that growth is faltering and he has been forced to seriously downgrade growth estimates. This was not a budget for jobs and the downgraded growth forecasts are a hammer blow to business and families in Scotland.
“The Tories are cutting too hard and too fast.
“Last month 2,000 Scots lost their jobs and this budget does nothing for them because it is a growth-free zone. It is a no-growth budget. He’s promising a small tax cut next year, but he’s taking away ten times that from families with children in higher VAT this year.
“This is a budget that hurts, but it doesn’t work,” said Mr Gray.
Labour’s pledge on the economy will see a package of over 80 measures from Scottish Labour to stimulate growth and create jobs, according to Dunfermline and West Fife’s candidate, Alex Rowley, Fife Labour Leader.
Mr Rowley said: “These are tough times for many businesses, but this robust plan shows that Labour is determined to deliver economic growth and jobs in communities throughout Dunfermline and West Fife.
“Supporting small businesses and the self-employed in Dunfermline to take on a member of staff for the first time has the potential to create many jobs for local people.
“The SNP’s refusal to offer transitional rates relief when properties were revalued last year hit a lot of firms hard, but we would introduce the scheme to ease the burden on businesses.
“Labour will also help firms expand into overseas markets and ensure business commuters can access the internet while travelling by train.
“Growing the economy and getting people back to work are the things that matter and that’s what a Labour government in Scotland will focus on right from the word go.
“With youth unemployment on the rise and 2,000 Scots losing their jobs last month it’s time to act.
“With Labour, Scotland is open for business and it will be a priority to deliver on growth and jobs.”
Head of External Affairs of the Federation of Small Businesses, Colin Borland, says: “The Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland has long been calling for a scheme to be run though Business Gateway that gives support to the self-employed looking to take on their first member of staff. We believe that this proposal could create jobs, deliver growth and boost the economy. While shortened payment times are good news, we really look forward to ensuring that small business sub-contractors are paid on time. We’re delighted that this has been recognised as a problem and look forward to finding solutions.”
The Scottish Labour Party’s manifesto for growth includes:
· The introduction of Labour’s ‘Plus-One’ scheme to help sole traders take on their first employee
· A new ‘prompt payment’ scheme to halve the time it takes to pay its bills to suppliers to just five days, rather than the current 10 days
· bring in 3G mobile phone and free wi-fi coverage on trains in Scotland by making it a requirement of the next ScotRail contract
· Transitional relief for business rates
· A new target of doubling Scottish exports in ten years.
Scottish Labour’s business manifesto, ‘Growing Scotland’s economy’, can be viewed by clicking on the link http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/
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I remember the last time the tories were in power and they did not care about those they threw on the scrap heap. People even those who made out of the tories eventually awoke to the fact that deep division and social unrest was in no ones interest and that is the danger of what will happen this time under the tories.