Me, out of touch over soaring bills? Yes, Nicola you ARE, say her neighbours (who can only dream of £215k joint income)
some can’t afford heating at all and don’t have any food in their house. We’ve been fighting for ages to get our wages up and the work is getting really stressful.
‘But we’re fortunate that all we’ve got to worry about is turning our lights or TV off if we’re not in the same room.’
Just down the road, Gary Ritchie, who spent 22 years in the Merchant Navy and now works for a ship management company in Clydebank, said: ‘How can Nicola
Sturgeon justify her comments? We’re quite fortunate we’re reasonably comfortable. But my mum and dad live in Stranraer and they have noticed a big increase in their fuel bills. They are on prepaid meters, so this month has been a big jump.
‘I use public transport all the time to get to work and the first two years under Abellio were horrendous as I was using the trains all the time. I’m hoping that now the Scottish Government has got ScotRail back under public ownership, we’ll see a difference but it’s the same model as CalMac, so who knows?
‘After my time in the UK Merchant Navy, independence is not high on my agenda. I’d like to see the roads around here sorted – they’re in a shocking state.’
Pamela O’Rourke, a secretary who works from home, said she was cutting back in a number of areas but her biggest problem was a rat infestation in her back garden. She added: ‘A lot of the neighbours are complaining but apparently Nicola says she hasn’t seen any around.
‘It’s being caused by the bins not being collected regularly enough – it’s now every three weeks. I’m having to pay out of my own pocket to replace my wheelie bins because the rats have chewed through the plastic to get to what’s inside.
‘The council only replace them at their cost if they are responsible for the damage themselves.
‘I’ve got the council out every two weeks to deal with two nests of rats currently under the decking in my back garden and I’ve got to pay
Rentokil on top. We can’t use our back garden any more and my neighbours are the same.
‘It’s alright for Nicola, there’s just two of them and she lives most of the week at Bute House.’
Edward Finnieston, 57, a retired firefighter, said: ‘We’re noticing the bills going up and we’re trying to tighten our belt in other ways but we’re not turning the heating down yet. Where we’re cutting back is journeys with our two cars because of the cost of fuel. My wife continually complains about the
rising cost in shopping. I don’t believe the government is doing enough to tackle the cost of living crisis.
‘I know they targeted the band A to D council tax brackets, and I understand that but it doesn’t apply to us.
‘I feel people in the position we’re in are going to find it hardest.
‘There’s nothing extra and wage rises aren’t comparable with what politicians are getting or with inflation. I like Nicola Sturgeon because of her straight talking but it’s nonsense if you’re getting a salary like hers to talk about turning your heating down.
‘If you’re living in Easterhouse or Drumchapel or wherever it may be, or perhaps working part-time with two or three jobs, they’re the people who are finding it hard.
‘My daughter stays in Cambuslang with her boyfriend and they’ve bought their first house and they’re feeling it. The two of them work full-time, he’s in the police and she’s a nurse. I’m disappointed about the way things are going.’
Further along the street, a selfemployed cognitive behavioural therapist said she was having to take on more work to pay rising bills, adding: ‘You wouldn’t know Nicola Sturgeon was a neighbour, you don’t see her much.
‘The fact we pay more tax in Scotland than England is not helping, and it’s only going to go up.
‘Paying my recent tax bill was quite frightening. I don’t mind on some occasions but we could do with a bit of extra help.
‘I’ve turned my heating down because I don’t want to give the energy companies the money.’
Noreen Munir, a mother of five children aged between ten and 20, said: ‘The cost of living is expensive anyway when you have children. It’s made us have to look at the absolute essentials.
‘I cook at home a lot and we used to go out on a Sunday as a treat to the cinema or bowling but not now.’
Mrs Numir, who owns a shop with her husband, added: ‘We used to drive to Livingston for shopping but now we’re trying to keep more local to save on fuel costs.
‘Council tax has gone up and we pay more income tax in Scotland.’
Another neighbour said: ‘ I can’t believe Nicola’s comments about the cost of living. Perhaps it’s about time she heard some home truths from her neighbours.’