SNP must act now to stopjobcentreclosure

The Tory Government announced a devastating programme of job centre closures in Glasgow ahead of Christmas.

Half the job centres in Glasgow are set to close and Cambuslang Jobcentre faces a similar fate. These closures will have a devastating impact on the poor and will also mean claimants travelling miles to other job centres to sign on and access support.

It is also likely to increase sanctions in the areas affected by closures because those in the greatest poverty struggle to access digital means of jobsearch.

The job centre use a universal job match system as their preferred means of proving jobsearch activity.

Many claimants who cannot afford laptops, tablets and smartphones call at their local job centres to search for jobs.

These closures will simply mean these same customers will struggle to access the help required and face greater risk of crippling sanctions that can cause severe hardship.

The planned closure of Cambuslang Jobcentre comes on top of the proposed closure of two HMRC sites in East Kilbride. Many South Lanarkshire residents are employed in these workplaces and such huge job losses would be a devastating blow to the local community.

The loss of these resources will also have a savage impact on the vulnerable and damage the prospects of creating a welfare system in Scotland that tackles poverty and a tax system that adequately taxes the fatcats and multinationals in Scotland.

We recognise that the SNP has campaigned against the closures, calling a debate at Westminster and raising petitions in local communities. In Rutherglen and Cambuslang, Margaret Ferrier and Clare Haughey have both been vocal in their opposition to the closures.

However, at this stage it seems unlikely that this will be enough to stop the Tories.

The Scottish Socialist Party believes radical and urgent action is required.

The Westminster Government are devolving responsibility for disability benefits, severe disablement benefits and also industrial injury benefits to Holyrood.

The SNP Government has called for the transfer of this work to be phased in to allow a smooth transition and ensure that the switch in administration does not result in payments being delayed.

This however will mean that power over means-tested benefits such as jobseekers allowance and universal credit will remain in the hands of Westminster.

Similarly, while the Scottish Government is due to be given limited powers on VAT and Air Passenger Duty from 2017, real power on taxation will remain at Westminster.

The reality is that if the SNP are serious about stopping these closures then they need to demand that full power on taxation and welfare is devolved urgently to Holyrood so that we can create a fairer tax and benefit regime and retain these job centres and HMRC sites.

The SSP believe we must keep all of these job centres and HMRC offices open.

The Scottish Government must demand a moratorium on the closures and immediately open talks to extend powers on benefits and tax raising to Holyrood.

These powers are necessary to protect jobs and benefits and put forward a progressive alternative to the closures.

The SNP campaigned on an antiausterity platform at the recent Westminster election and argued that independence was necessary to create a better, fairer Scotland.

Surely this is a prime opportunity to expose the Tories and set out a case to retain these jobs as part of a campaign to create that Scotland?

The SNP has the opportunity to make a clear stand public services and the protection of the poor and the vulnerable by demanding real powers on benefits and taxation now. Gerry McMahon Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Blantyre branch of the Scottish Socialist party