MARY Rail fare rise is just a rip-off
BY WEST SCOTLAND MSP MARY FEE
On Friday, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard outlined his vision for a Green New Deal for Scotland.
The proposals, such as 12,000 council homes each year, investing £100 million in new electric buses and more sustainable jobs in green industries, are necessary and welcoming.
The coronavirus crisis has shown us the need for new ideas and real action on the climate.
Richard Leonard has the ambition to deliver these and ensure that we do not return to the lack of action we’re used to under this SNP Government.
Facing a major economic and unemployment crisis, we need to invest in our futures. That is Labour’s ambition heading into the elections next May.
Success for students Congratulations to school students who recently forced the SNP Government into a U-turn over the grade fiasco.
Young people in Renfrewshire and across Scotland made their voices heard and have now been awarded grades predicted by their teachers, rather than the SQA system that penalised students from the poorest backgrounds.
It was scandalous that historic results were used to pre-determine the grades for young people who could not sit exams. Of course, the situation is unprecedented as a result of the coronavirus.
However, the warnings that poorer pupils would be further disadvantaged were clear for months and the government ignored these warnings.
As I highlighted in my last Express column, children and young people are most likely to suffer in the Covid recovery and recession. That is why I am delighted that those who can now continue to college and university can do so.
For those opting not to continue in education, job opportunities and training are more pivotal now than ever before. The Scottish and UK Governments must invest in jobs and must better protect employment rights for young people.
More unfair rail fare rises
Fares for train tickets are set to rise further from January, this time by 1.6 per cent.
Understandably, train passenger numbers have fallen in recent months and the Scottish Government should be supporting people back to work and lowering the cost of living. Instead, the cost of train tickets has increased by 56 per cent since the SNP came to power in 2007 and increased by 15 per cent since Abellio was contracted to run our rail in 2015.
Passengers all across Scotland will feel the effects of this fare rise.
This latest rip-off rail fare rise is unwanted, unwelcome and unnecessary and will hit thousands of working people who use Scotland’s railways.
The UK and Scottish rail franchise system is broken.
Only Scottish Labour will bring our railways back under public ownership to ensure that these rip off rail fares end and that our railways provide better value for passengers and the taxpayer.