Labour ‘most radical since 1945’ pledges McDonnell
A LABOUR government under Jeremy Corbyn will be the most radical since 1945, the Shadow Chancellor has said.
John McDonnell, who would be in control of the nation’s finances should Labour win power at the next General Election, is in Glasgow today meeting union members and business leaders.
Should Corbyn become only the 6th Labour Prime Minister since the war, Mr McDonnell said there would be the biggest transfer of wealth in more than 70 years.
As the party bids to force a General Election should Theresa May lose the vote on the Brexit deal later this month, the Shadow Chancellor said it would end austerity and boost Scotland’s budget by tens of billions of pounds.
Mr McDonnell said: “Labour in government at Westminster will halt austerity which our manifesto commitments could mean £70bn more for Scotland over two terms.
“As Chancellor, this package will represent the biggest transfer in wealth and power from London to Scotland in postwar Britain.
“The next Labour government will be the most radically reforming one since that of Clement Attlee and Nye Bevan elected in 1945.”
He attacked both the Conservatives at Westminster and the SNP at Holyrood claiming the Tory austerity has been passed on unnecessarily north of the border.
Mr McDonnell said: “Scotland has suffered from a near decade of Tory and SNP austerity.
“The Tories at Westminster have imposed the Bedroom Tax and the Rape Clause on working class Scots, as well presiding over a surge in food bank use caused by over eight years of austerity.
“At the same time, the SNP at Holyrood has simply passed on Tory austerity to communities, by bullying councils into making cuts and running down crucial areas like further education, as well as underfunding Scotland’s NHS.”
The Tories hit back claiming Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell would “bankrupt Britain”.
Scottish Conservatives finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: “John McDonnell would be radical for all the wrong reasons.
“Labour policies would bankrupt Britain and only make life more difficult for people right across Scotland.
“What’s worse, Labour are so disinterested in keeping Scotland part of the UK, he would play straight into the SNP’s hands.”