SSP national spokesman Colin Fox today described the Scottish Government’s Legislative programme as “timid’ adding it represented merely ‘more warm words which leave ingrained social equality untouched”.
Colin said :
“Where’s the beef? The First Minister made much of the 500 firms signed up to her £7.85 an hour ‘real living wage’ but omitted to say that even official Westminster figures show working people need to be earning £10/hour to pay their own way and stop qualifying for top up benefits. Nicola Sturgeon needs to do far better than this if poverty pay is to be eradicated in Scotland.”
“She talked for example about the 100,000 extra staff the NHS in Scotland now employs compared with 2007 but she omits to mention how many are on zero hour contracts and poverty wages. She described the trade union movement as ‘partners’ but gives no promise to oppose the existing anti union laws or take any action to stamp out employers use of zero hours contracts.”
“Again and again she highlighted real and deep seated social problems in Scotland – many of which have not been addressed by the SNP in Government – and yet offers up trifling sums to solve them such as an extra £100,000 to assist teenagers with mental health problems across Scotland. That wont go very far. Neither will £16 million to allow youngsters across the country in deprived areas to stay on at school. These sums are like so much else she announced pitifully inadequate and in many ways they highlight the real lack of ambition in her speech.”
“It was a speech peppered with worthy intentions but without the beef. Where are the real resources she could have deployed?”
“The SNP claim to be ‘Standing up for Scotland’ but the fundamental shift in wealth in favour of the working class majority needed is not there. Nicola Sturgeon’s programme contains little to achieve the goals Scotland urgently needs to reach.”
Media Release
Contact Ken Ferguson: 07925 613145