We need government that delivers for all
FOR the many, not the few.
That is the title of Labour’s manifesto which will be unveiled by Jeremy Corbyn today.
I will be in Bradford for the launch, joining colleagues from across the UK as we demonstrate the difference a Labour government will make for the entire country.
There are only two outcomes in this general election: A Labour government or a Tory government.
SNP MPs wield no power in Westminster and simply go to the Commons to campaign for a divisive second independence referendum. They do not stand up for Scotland as they promised to do.
The more SNP MPs there are, the greater the chance that Theresa May returns to Downing Street.
That is the terrifying reality voters must consider when they go to the polls on June 8.
The UK needs a Labour government.
It was Tony Blair who said that governments should work for the many, not the few, and the record of the last Labour government is one to be incredibly proud of.
Labour lifted 120,000 children out of poverty in Scotland, brokered peace in Northern Ireland, introduced the Human Rights Act, lifted 110,000 pensioners out of poverty in Scotland, launched a tax credit system for the low paid and children and OAPs, introduced the right to parental leave, banned smoking in public places, created civil partnerships, tripled the UK aid budget, and created the Scottish Parliament.
It’s time for another Labour government, and the manifesto Jeremy will unveil today will pledge a real living wage of £10 an hour for hundreds of thousands of workers in Scotland, it will protect the triple-lock for pensioners and deliver a major public spending boost for Scotland.
It will make it clear that Labour oppose a second independence referendum.
“It is unwanted and unnecessary and we will campaign tirelessly to ensure Scotland remains part of the UK,” the manifesto will state.
As Jeremy has repeatedly warned, independence would lead to turbo-charged austerity for Scottish families.
In addition, a Labour government will abolish the Tories’ abhorrent rape clause policy – which forces women who have conceived a child as a result of rape to fill out an eight-page form to claim tax credits if it is the woman’s third child – across the UK.
If anyone wants a reminder of just how nasty the Conservative Party still are, their leader in Scotland, Ruth Davidson, has repeatedly defended the rape clause.
A Labour government will deliver on our manifesto commitments, transforming lives for the many, not the few.
That’s in stark contrast to the SNP who have broken their promises to scrap the council tax, abolish student debt and reduce class sizes.
At this election, people across Scotland have the opportunity to tell Nicola Sturgeon they do not want another divisive independence referendum – by electing Labour MPs.
Support for the SNP is in sharp decline and it is only Labour that stand a chance of beating the Nationalists.
Labour’s No1 priority at this election is electing a government that will focus on growing our economy, investing in schools and hospitals, and making work pay.