Time for reflection

In this first column after the General Election, I want to begin by thanking those 13,303 voters who continued to show their support for the Labour Party.

On a personal level, I would like to pay tribute to Anne McGuire who was an experienced and extremely hard-working MP in the Stirling constituency for 18 years and wish her the very best of luck in the next chapter of her life.

To the many who voted SNP in the belief that a strong SNP contingent at Westminster would be able to influence a Labour government to reduce austerity, the result must be disappointing.

As the post-election analysis continues, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Conservative Party was able to frighten the electorate in England with the prospect of a Labour Government “controlled” by the SNP who announced early in their election campaign that they would reverse their policy of not voting on matters solely related to England.

Secondly in England, unlike Scotland, there was a different view about our financial situation which meant the SNP with its anti-austerity rhetoric, was felt likely to undermine the UK’s economic recovery. I am not saying the SNP is entirely to blame for Labour’s defeat. However, Nicola Sturgeon’s call for English voters to vote Green and Welsh voters to vote Plaid Cymru instead of Labour did not help.

For me, there are clear messages in this unprecedented defeat for Labour in Scotland. In seeking to achieve a fairer and more just society, many no longer believe the Westminster system is able to deliver. Part of that fairness is a proportional voting system.

Scottish Labour, in creating the Scottish Parliament and the council electoral system at a time when we were undoubtedly the strongest party, did just that.

Also, the Scottish people wish to have greater clarity and more control through devolved powers. But mainly we are tired of austerity, especially if that affects those who are less well off.

We are faced with a growing crisis in the NHS. In Forth Valley there are now three general practices — Bannockburn, Drymen and Grangemouth —with no GP partners, affecting more than 20,000 patients.

Practices in Clackmannanshire also face GP recruitment problems.

For years SNP ministers in denial have accused me of scaremongering.

In these heady euphoric days for the SNP, this is just one of a number of serious problems which they must tackle. I will enlarge on the NHS problems, on the deterioration in education and on the effect of SNP decisions on for the people with disability in future articles.

Meantime in Stirling, the Labourled council has been the first in Scotland to have introduced an £8 Living Wage. The new level of Living Wage to all council employees and interns came into effect on April 1.

One of the first actions Stirling Labour took for the lowest paid workers was to introduce the Living Wage and backdate it.

The Labour-led administration has increased the Living Wage and backdated it for three consecutive years. This has not been done by any other Scottish council. I’m proud of what Stirling Labour has done for lowest paid staff, making a real and positive difference.

Last year Scottish Labour attempted to extend the living wage to workers on all public contracts. The SNP voted with the Tories to block the move.

The latest Scottish Public Health Observatory report on Health and Wellbeing shows life expectancy for Stirling District to be the seventh highest out of 32 councils in Scotland. The same report also places us as having the second lowest level of mortality in the 15-44 age group and the seventh lowest levels of teenage pregnancy.

If you have any concerns you feel I may be able to help you with, contact me at richard.simpson. msp@scottish.parliament.uk or my team on 01786 446515. To keep up to date on my Parliamentary work please visit my website: www. richardsimpson.info or find me on Twitter at @rsimpsonmsp, or on Facebook at richardsimpsonmsp.

For me, there are clear messages in this unprecedented defeat for Labour in Scotland