Election questions answered in Muirhouse?

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Are you confused with the Party manifestos at the forthcoming General Election? (writes James McGinty)

Cammy Day (Labour) will run a drop in to Muirhouse Millennium (Community) Centre from 12 noon -1.00pm on Wednesday 6 May to explain any issues or queries you may have.

So come along at any time between 12.00 and 1.00 pm and either add your questions or sit and listen to other peoples questions and prepare yourself for a very important General Election. The meeting will take place in our boardroom initially (dependent on community response).

James McGinty, Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Row over ‘extraordinary’ claims in Lib Dem newspaper

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The SNP has accused the Liberal Democrats of misleading voters in Edinburgh West, claiming plummeting poll ratings have ‘driven their opponents to a new low.’

With the general election now just two weeks away the SNP have challenged claims about the controversial Cammo planning application made in a Liberal Democrat newsletter.

An SNP spokesperson said: “Not content to openly ask Tory and Labour supporters to vote for them in order to stop the SNP candidate Michelle Thomson from winning Edinburgh West constituency, they are now trying to mislead and panic local residents over the housing application which has been referred to Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil for determination.

“The Liberal Democrat candidate Mike Crockart is quoted: ‘The SNP can’t run away from their record on Cammo. Their local councillors voted for the housing development. Only the Liberal Democrats can be trusted to work with residents to stop these plans going ahead.’ This statement is totally untrue. No councillors voted for the proposed housing development. The development was appealed by the developers on the grounds of non determination by the City of Edinburgh Council.

“The Liberal Democrats also ask three questions:

1. Why did the SNP put this in the hands of their housing minister Alex Neil from Airdrie, over our locally elected councillors? This is factually incorrect. No one from the SNP directed this to Alex Neil. The application was appealed on the grounds of non-determination by the Council and the legal pathway is being followed. The Council Planning committee was bypassed by the developers appeal.

2. Why has the SNP delayed the decision about Cammo until after the General Election? This is factually incorrect. The SNP have no part to play in this legal process: if the SNP were involved in trying to influence a live planning application this would be inapropriate and illegal. There is no date known as to when the determination will be made public.

3. Why did SNP councillors on the Council Planning Committee vote for the inclusion of housing at Cammo in the local development plan last year? This is factually incorrect. Councillors on the Planning Committee at last years meeting could not agree on a new local development plan which would have identified areas to be released for development. As a result, a fresh consultation on land available all over the city of Edinburgh was undertaken by the City Council of which Cammo was a part. It should be noted that no Liberal Democrat Councillor accepted a position on the Planning Committee and as a result have made absolutely no meaningful input into the planning deliberations.”

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Western Colin Keir said: “This is an extraordinary newspaper from the Liberal Democrats. It would appear that the blind panic caused by local polls which show the Liberal Democrats in freefall is clouding any good judgement they may have once had. They are now clearly misleading residents. While the SNP candidate Michelle Thomson has been following a positive agenda, the Liberal Democrats are suffering through a lack of trust because of their coalition with the Tories.”

Mr Keir added: “Mr Crockart has had all this explained to him. Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil even wrote to him some weeks ago explaining the process regarding the Cammo housing appeal, which is on record. Obviously Mr Crockart either doesn’t understand the process, or the lack of trust shown in polls to the Liberal Democrats is well founded as residents are clearly being misled.”

Edinburgh West was once a Conservative stronghold but the Lib-Dems have held the Westminster constituency – which covers a wide area from Drylaw and Muirhouse out to South Queensferry – since 1997. The SNP currently hold the equivalent Edinburgh Western seat in the Holyrood parliament.

Candidates contesting the Edinburgh West seat on 7 May are: Patricia Black (Greens), Mike Crockart (Lib Dems), Cammy Day (Labour), Otto Inglis (UKIP), Lindsay Paterson (Conservative) and Michelle Thomson (SNP).

Last call: register to vote!

Deadline for registration is MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

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Alex Robertson, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said: “If you aren’t registered by 20 April then you simply won’t be able to vote on 7 May so do it now at www.gov.uk/registertovote. It takes just a few minutes and is far easier than the old, paper based process. There’s been a great response so far and we don’t want anyone to miss out on having their say on polling day.”

The Electoral Commission said recent applications included almost 470,000 online applications from 16 to 24-year-olds but added that its research also suggested there may be as many as 7.5 million unregistered voters.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April. Register now at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Other important dates:

The deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2015 and the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2015.

www.gov.uk/registertovote.

General Election: Edinburgh candidates confirmed

bigbenThe candidates nominated to stand in the City of Edinburgh’s five constituencies in the UK Parliamentary Elections on May 7th have been announced. Nominations closed at 4pm today.

The nominated candidates for each constituency are listed in full below and can also be found on the Council website:

Edinburgh East Constituency

CORBISHLEY, Oliver John – UK Independence Party (UKIP)
GILMORE, Sheila – Scottish Labour Party
MCCOLL, Peter Andrew – Scottish Green Party
MCMORDIE, James Frederick John – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
SALEEM, Ayesha – Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
SHEPPARD, Tommy – Scottish National Party (SNP)
UTTING, Karen Jane – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Edinburgh North & Leith Constituency

BEATTIE-SMITH, Sarah Elizabeth – Scottish Green Party
BROCK, Deidre Leanne – Scottish National Party (SNP)
LAZAROWICZ, Mark – Scottish Labour Party
MCGILL, Iain – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
MELVILLE, Alan Gordon – UK Independence Party (UKIP)
VEART, Martin – Scottish Liberal Democrats
WHITEHEAD, Bruce – Left Unity – Trade Unionists and Socialists

Edinburgh South Constituency

BRIGGS, Miles Edward Frank – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
FOX, Colin Anthony – Scottish Socialist Party
HAY, Neil William – Scottish National Party (SNP)
MARSHALL, Paul – United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)
MEYER, Phyl Stuart – Scottish Green Party
MURRAY, Ian – Scottish Labour Party
SUBBARAMAN, Pramod – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Edinburgh South West Constituency

CHERRY Joanna Catherine – Scottish National Party (SNP)
DOHERTY Richard Alan – Scottish Green Party
FARTHING-SYKES Dan – Scottish Liberal Democrats
HENDERSON Ricky – Scottish Labour Party
LINDHURST Gordon John – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
LUCAS Richard Crewe  – UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Edinburgh West Constituency

BLACK Pat – Scottish Green Party
CROCKART Mike – Scottish Liberal Democrats
DAY Cammy – Scottish Labour Party
INGLIS George Grant Gordon Otto – UK Independence Party (UKIP)
PATERSON Lindsay Sheila – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
THOMSON Michelle Rhonda – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Find out more about where, when and how to vote.

Voters: are your details correct?

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Edinburgh’s voters are being urged to check their registration details are correct four weeks ahead of the General Election on 7 May.

Citizens are being reminded that they must be registered in order to cast their vote in May’s election, with tenants and recent movers in particular the focus of a drive to encourage registration.

Members of the public, including students and people who have moved home since the last time they registered, should check they are on the electoral role ahead of the registration deadline on 20 April.

Nominations close on Thursday for General Election Candidates, when the final list of those standing for Edinburgh’s five constituencies will be announced.

Sue Bruce, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies, said: “Interest in the forthcoming General Election is really starting to build up. It is essential that voters’ registration details are up-to-date so they can cast their votes and I would urge anyone who is unsure to check in plenty of time.”

More than 84% of the city’s residents voted in the Scottish Independence Referendum in September, but changes to the electoral registration system could mean some electors need to re-register. Anyone who has moved since August can update their address or other details by visiting the GOV.UK website.

You can check you are registered by phoning the Lothian Valuation Joint Board on 0131 344 2500.
Find out more about where, when and how to vote here.

Britain: The Comeback Country?

Never has the gap between the chancellor’s rhetoric and the reality of people’s lives been greater” – Labour leader Ed Miliband

budget box“Mr Deputy Speaker, five years ago I had to present to this House an Emergency Budget. Today I present the Budget of an economy stronger in every way from the one we inherited. The Budget of an economy taking another big step from austerity to prosperity.

We cut the deficit – and confidence is returning.

We limited spending, made work pay, backed business – and growth is returning.

We gave people control over their savings and helped people own their own homes – and optimism is returning.

We have provided clear decisive economic leadership – and from the depths Britain is returning.

The share of national income taken up by debt – falling.

The deficit down.

Growth up.

Jobs up.

Living standards on the rise.

Britain on the rise.

This is the Budget for Britain. The Comeback Country.”

So concluded Chancellor George Osbourne at the end of yesterday’s budget statement. Mr Osborne painted a picture of Great Britain brought back from the abyss by a resolute government’s astute economic management. Yes, there were a few pre-election sweeteners in there too but in the main this was a steady-as-you-go budget with one clear message to voters – the job isn’t finished so don’t let Labour loose on the economy; they will wreck the ongoing recovery and undo all the good work of the last five years.

Welcoming the statement Scottish Secretary Alsitair Carmichael said the budget will bring in a range of measures which will support key Scottish business sectors, workers and families across Scotland.

The Chancellor announced significant changes to the tax system which will see 2.33 million people in Scotland take advantage of more generous personal allowances, benefiting by an average of £555 in real terms.

The allowance will increase to £10,800 in 2016-17 and to £11,000 in 2017-18. This means people in Scotland will be able to keep more of their pay before being taxed. This also means 287,000 people in Scotland will have been taken out of paying income tax altogether.

The Scottish Government will benefit from additional funding of £31 million in 2015-16 through Barnett consequentials. This means it has seen additional spending power of £2.7 billion since 2010.

This Budget also delivers a substantial package of support for important Scottish industries including the oil and gas sector, the Scotch whisky industry and the video games industry, much of which is centred in Dundee, will benefit from a £4m support package.

Vehicle owners will also benefit from the cancellation of the September 2015 fuel duty increase. By the end of 2015-16, a typical motorist will have saved £675, a small business with a van £1,400 and a haulier £21,000.

Mr Carmichael said: “This Budget is another positive step forward for Scotland in the wider journey to economic stability which has taken place over the past five years.

It gets the important things right, with a focus on helping create a fairer and more generous personal tax system which will benefit thousands of people in Scotland and giving a helping hand to some of our key business sectors, securing jobs and prosperity for the future.

This progress has been hard-won by this Government and builds a strong base for Scotland’s economic future as part of the UK.”

It wasn’t what was announced, it was the things that weren’t mentioned that worry government critics. Labour leader Ed Miliband said Osborne’s budget statement made ‘no mention of investment in our National Health Service and our vital public services’ and added: “Never has the gap between the chancellor’s rhetoric and the reality of people’s lives been greater.”

Mr Miliband said: “Mr Deputy Speaker, never has the gap between the Chancellor’s rhetoric and the reality of people’s lives been greater than today. This is a Budget people won’t believe from a government that is not on their side. Because of their record, because of their instincts, because of their plans for the future and because of a Budget, most extraordinarily, that had no mention of investment in our National Health Service and our vital public services. It’s a budget people won’t believe from a government they don’t trust.”

He added that the Tories also plan to cut NHS spending – ‘That is the secret plan that dare not speak its name today.’ 

The Scottish government’s reaction was also less then appreciative. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The Chancellor had every opportunity to end the damaging cuts from the UK Government and has instead turned his back on investment in public services.

“We face the same £30 billion of unfair and unnecessary cuts today as we did yesterday. That is despite the clear admission from the Chancellor that there is headroom to invest to protect our public services.

“If we are to believe the Chancellor that the economy is making such a successful recovery, then there is no justification for the destructive cuts that impact on the most vulnerable in society. That tells you everything you need to know about the values and priorities of this Chancellor.”

Commenting on the ‘U-turn’ on the North Sea fiscal regime, Mr Swinney said:

“Measures to safeguard the North Sea are a step in the right direction for our oil and gas sector. The Scottish Government has been calling for such measures, along with the industry, for some time. Today’s measures are a glaring admission by the Chancellor that his policy for the North Sea has been wrong and the poor stewardship by the UK Government has had a detrimental impact on our oil and gas sector and the many people who work in the industry. It has taken the Chancellor four years to admit the tax rise he implemented in 2011 was a mistake. A heavy price has been paid for this mismanagement.

“Today I cautiously welcome the U-turn by the UK Government to take action on the future of the North Sea. We will study the proposals in detail. It is now essential that work is focussed on boosting investment and growth in the North Sea sector.”

The Scottish Greens also criticised Mr Osborne’s ‘fantasy economy’. They said the Chancellor’s rosy depiction of the economy is not being felt on the ground, with low wages, ins, inecure employment and welfare sanctions continuing to reinforce poverty and inequality in the UK.

The Greens are leading a debate in Holyrood today on in-work poverty, and are campaigning for a £10 minimum wage by 2020. Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, said: “This is not a plan to make the UK a fairer or more sustainable society. Instead of an eye-watering £1.3 billion subsidy for fossil fuels, the Chancellor could have provided a gigantic boost to locally-owned clean energy or backed the return of our railways to public hands.

“This Coalition has delivered five years of hacking away at the public good and at the foundations of our welfare state. It’s been a devastating and costly campaign by an elite in Westminster and the prospect of another round should terrify everyone who is fighting for social justice in this country.”

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, said: “The Westminster coalition try to paint a rosy picture but what they describe will seem to many like a fantasy economy, far removed from the reality of rising rents, insecure low paid work and the misery of welfare cuts. The Greens want to see a £10 minimum wage and the small rises announced today are completely inadequate in a world of extreme high pay at the top.”

Wednesday was show day, today is the day the boffins scrutinise the Budget in fine detail. I wonder what they’ll discover as they pick through the bones?

Ten thousand and rising …

STV GREENS SNUB: Legal challenge not ruled out

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More than ten thousand people have signed the petition calling for Scottish Green Party inclusion in STV’s leaders debate. Leaders of Scotland’s other four major parties have also announced their support for the Greens inclusion.

Launched at 11am on Thursday, after STV announced their plans to hold a debate with four of Scotland’s five parties, the petition has received support across Scotland, peaking at forty signatures a minute and reaching ten thousand signatures at 13.53 on Saturday.

Commenting on the public and political support, Patrick Harvie MSP said: “This groundswell of support across Scotland shows that there is a clear demand for the Greens to be included in the debate. These past two years have seen high-quality, enjoyable televised debates, with STV often hosting the best of them and with the Greens regularly given a platform. The public clearly expect this diversity of vision to continue being on offer, if only for them as voters to give us the scrutiny we all deserve.

“We are also grateful for the messages of support from the leaders of Scotland’s four other major parties. Their statements add considerable weight to the call by over ten thousand members of the public for STV to reconsider and extend an invitation to the Greens. Taking legal action is not our preferred option but it is one we will have to keep open unless the broadcaster reconsiders their position.”

General election: make sure your voter details are up to date

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With just eight weeks to go until the UK General Election, Edinburgh voters are being urged to make sure their voter details are up to date.

Members of the public, including students and people who may have moved home since the last time they registered, are being reminded to check their registration details are correct ahead of the vote on Thursday 7 May.

More than 84% of the city’s residents voted in the Scottish Independence Referendum in September, which saw a record-breaking turnout across the country.

Since this time last year, the number of people registered to vote has risen by more than 15,000.

But anyone who has moved home or changed their name since the Referendum will need to ensure their details are up to date in order to vote in May. Members of the public can register or update their details online using the Government website by 20 April.

Dame Sue Bruce, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “It is crucial that voters’ registration details are correct in order to have their say in the election, so I would urge all those who are unsure to check they are registered.

“We saw a record high turnout for the Scottish Independence Referendum last year and it would be great to continue this enthusiasm into the UK Parliamentary Election in May.”

The City of Edinburgh Council has launched a campaign to promote voter awareness and voter registration ahead of the election, along with the Lothian Valuation Joint Board. The drive will use social media, news releases and other promotional material to share information and advice on taking part in the election.

Find out where, when and how to vote on the Council website. 

Lazarowicz backs living wage

‘Low pay is a moral scandal in our country’ – Mark Lazarowicz MP

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Mark Lazarowicz MP is supporting Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy’s plan to address the problem of low pay by offering employers tax rebates when they increase their staff’s pay to the living wage of £7.85 per hour.

39,000 workers in Edinburgh who are currently paid less than the living wage would benefit and £17 million in funding would go in tax rebates to businesses that support the living wage for their staff.

Under the plans, employers would receive a tax rebate of up to £1000 for every low paid worker who gets a pay rise.

The average rebate would be £445, meaning that if every low paid worker across Scotland was given the living wage, business would get a windfall of over £180 million.

Mr Lazarowicz said that research that shows a living wage leads to: 

•a 25% fall in absenteeism

•80% of employers believing the living wage has enhanced the quality of the work of their staff

•66% of employers reporting a significant impact on recruitment and retention within their organisation 

Over 400,000 Scots are currently paid less than the living wage – with an estimated 39,000 in Edinburgh alone – and Scottish Labour argues the living wage is best for business and best for fairness.

The North & Leith MP said: “Low pay is a moral scandal in our country and it is also holding our economy back. This plan to extend the living wage could lift thousands of Scots out of low pay. We could give a pay rise to as many as 39,000 workers in Edinburgh alone.

“Edinburgh City Council has already led the way by becoming a living wage employer so it is committed to paying all of its staff at least the living wage. Local businesses will see a bonus too, with £17 million available for businesses in Edinburgh.

“The research shows that absenteeism and staff turnover go down whilst performance and morale go up. It means a happier, more efficient workplace. 

“A lot of businesses in Scotland aren’t turning over millions. They are on the sharp end budgeting month to month, they might want to give a pay rise to their staff but the conditions aren’t right.

“That is why Scottish Labour has a plan to convince these businesses to pay the living wage. We will use make work pay contracts to incentivise better pay for staff – and better performance for business.”

Lazarowicz welcomes plan to close education gap

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Mark Lazarowicz MP has welcomed the plan announced at the Scottish Labour conference to use funding from Labour’s cut in pension tax relief for highest earners to set aside £125m extra for the Scottish education budget to close the educational attainment gap between children from rich and poor backgrounds.  

The cut in pension tax relief will also provide funding for school leavers to ensure more students from the most deprived backgrounds have the chance to go to university and all young people start their working lives on a secure footing.

The extra £125m is only part of the plan which would also:

  • require Ministers and local councils to report annually on progress in reducing inequality in education
  • see all local authorities appoint a chief education officer to lead the work to close the gap in attainment
  • create a National Centre of Excellence of Education to enable best practice to be shared
  • double the number of teaching assistants in those primary schools that send children to the 20 secondary schools where there is most concern over attainment

Labour also plans to introduce

  • better grants for poorer students, worth over £1000 to enable more students from deprived backgrounds to attend university
  • a fund worth £1,600 each to support young people who don’t go on to college or university or an apprenticeship to pay the cost of training, setting up a small business or expenses like driving lessons

Mark Lazarowicz said: “This funding from taxing highest earners will enable us to really tackle the gap in attainment between children from the richest and poorest backgrounds which has been too often neglected.

“It will also ensure young people who don’t go on to study at a college or university or gain an apprenticeship are not forgotten by helping them with the cost of training or other expenses as they start their working lives.

“Educational opportunity at every level should be our aim and we must do much more to make that a reality to give all our young people the chance they deserve.”

The Scottish Labour leader, Jim Murphy, has reaffirmed that there will be no tuition fees at Scottish universities if Labour wins the next Scottish Parliament elections but he also went on to highlight the need to widen access so that students from the most deprived backgrounds have the chance to study at university in much greater numbers.

Independent studies show that Scotland currently has the lowest proportion of university students from the most deprived backgrounds in the UK.

The funding would come from the funding that the Scottish Government would receive from Labour’s cut in pension tax relief for highest earners. That would cut

  • the rate of pension tax relief for people earning over £150,000 a year to the basic rate;
  • the annual limit on pension contributions free of tax from £40,000 to £30,000;
  • the lifetime allowance from £1.5 million to £1 million.