Tomorrow, thousands of Glaswegians will have their opportunity to help keep this great city and our communities moving forward.
And in doing so they can tell Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar exactly what they think about the two-faced Labour Party, its brutal axing of the pensioners’ fuel allowance and their decisions which are pushing our most vulnerable deeper into poverty.
Following the election of two Glasgow Labour councillors to Westminster in July and the decision by another to leave the Council, voters in Maryhill, Drumchapel and Easterhouse will go to the polls to choose who they want representing their communities.
In the SNP, they have candidates who will never take their votes for granted and are committed to making this city a better place for everyone. The years during which the SNP has been Glasgow’s City Administration have been far from easy.
Together we’ve had to contend with the devastation of the Pandemic on families and business and the impact of Brexit on our economy. We’ve had to do our bit to protect Glaswegians from the misery of 14 years of Tory cuts and austerity and the impact this has on our capacity to deliver the services citizens rely upon.
And we’ve had to deal with the legacies of decades of Labour misrule and failings, not least its discrimination against women workers. Just imagine what this city could be doing with the tens of millions of pounds it will be paying Labour’s equal pay bill with for decades to come.
Despite these unprecedented challenges, we’ve continued to transform communities all but abandoned by Labour during its time in power in this city. We’ve pushed forward with the regeneration of Maryhill, Drumchapel and Easterhouse with new homes and new schools, secured millions from Government for further improvements and put in place fantastic new landmarks like the Stockingfield Bridge at the canal.
I’m hugely proud of the pioneering Holiday Food Programme the SNP introduced and of being first out of the blocks with the expansion of free school meals and free childcare. And we’ve significantly improved the attainment of our school leavers and the positive destinations they progress to.
We’ve managed to do this with one hand tied behind our collective back. And I fear this new Government of Starmer and Rachel Reeves isn’t making our task any easier. Indeed, the early indications are we’re out of the Tory frying pan and into Labour’s fire.
Take for example the rise in what employers like the Council and the third sector pay in National Insurance. That will make dealing with poverty in this city so much more difficult, not only costing the Council many millions but pushing those groups working on the frontline against poverty to the brink. On top of keeping the Two Child Cap, Labour is wiping out the difference the SNP’s Scottish Child Payment is making in keeping families out of extreme poverty.
And as temperatures plummet and winter arrives with a vengeance, Labour’s decision to scrap winter fuel payments will now be felt in the homes of three-quarters of Glasgow’s pensioners. It’s truly shameful that in communities like Easterhouse, Drumchapel and Maryhill, all disproportionately impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, and with temperatures hitting minus 5, that Labour has done this.
It can be easy to forget how Labour behave when in power, their sense of entitlement and putting vested interests above Glaswegians. Tomorrow, a vote for the SNP is vote for candidates who will put this city, its pensioners, children and our communities.
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