Promises don’t match the reality
SNP record doesn’t add up
I have just received an election address from the SNP which promises to deliver five things on childcare, NHS investment, better pensions, a better economy and “new ideas”. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately it doesn’t bear any comparison with the SNP record.
I am astonished at the gall of the SNP in putting forward these five points without apology.
Childcare is the responsibility of the SNP government in Edinburgh. They provide free childcare for 27 per cent of Scotland’s two year olds.
In England, the Coalition government provides free childcare for 40 per cent of England’s two year olds.
NHS investment in Scotland – also the responsibility of the SNP – has gone DOWN in real terms in Scotland by 1.2 per cent - but up in England under the Coalition by 4.4 per cent.
On pensions, Liberal Democrats in government have increased the state pension by £950 a year. The SNP threaten this by a great big black hole in the public finances of around £7.5 billion a year if Scotland had either independence or the SNP’s new idea of “fiscal responsibility”.
On the economy, the SNP want to borrow an amazing £180billion more, making the debt problem worse. It is difficult to see how this can be described as “responsible economic policy”.
Far from making Scotland stronger, the SNP record fails Scotland, increases the debt burden and damages the UK economic recovery. After all the difficulties since the banking collapse, the UK is now growing faster than most other advanced economies, has delivered 1.89 million more people in work than in 2010, over £800 more in take home pay because of Liberal Democrats raising the tax threshold, and the minimum wage now rising above inflation.
People should think twice before backing the SNP – local people might want to check these things out for themselves! Councillor Robert Brown, Liberal Democrats, Rutherglen South Ward. In last week’s Reformer, we printed a letter from Fulton H Hunter, of 25 Elm Drive, Cambuslang.
He wrote that he had been refused a ticket for the local food bank by Cambuslang Credit Union.
He wishes to clarify that the credit union do not deal with food banks. It was the Citizens Advice Bureau which refused him, and wishes to apologise for the mix-up.