Charles Kennedy: a wee giant

Former Lib Dem leader dies aged 55

Lib Dem politician Charles Kennedy has died, his family has announced. He was only 55. Kennedy was one of a rare breed – that rare phenomenon, a popular politician – and colleagues and opponents have been swift to praise the likeable wee guy known to many as ‘Chat Show Charlie’.

A statement released on behalf of his family this morning said: “It is with great sadness, and an enormous sense of shock, that we announce the death of Charles Kennedy. Charles died at home in Fort William yesterday. He was 55. We are obviously devastated at the loss.

“Charles was a fine man, a talented politician, and a loving father to his young son. We ask therefore that the privacy of his family is respected in the coming days.

“There will be a post-mortem and we will issue a further statement when funeral arrangements are made.”

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted earlier this morning: “Sad beyond words to hear the news about Charlie Kennedy. A lovely man and one of the most talented politicians of his time. Gone too soon.’

Kennedy’s predecessor as Lib Dem party leader Paddy Ashdown remarked: “In a political age not overburdened with gaiety and good sense, he brought us wit, charm, judgement, principle and decency.”

Nick Clegg, who resigned as Liberal Democrat leader following last month’s general election, said: “Charles devoted his life to public service, yet he had an unusual gift for speaking about politics with humour and humility which touched people well beyond the world of politics.

“He was one of the most gentle and unflappable politicians I have ever known, yet he was immensely courageous too not least when he spoke for the country against the invasion of Iraq.”

A ‘One Nation’ Queen’s Speech?

‘The Queen’s Speech 2015 will be a clear programme for working people, social justice and bringing our country together’

Ahead of today’s Queen’s Speech Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Behind this Queen’s Speech is a clear vision for what our country can be. A country of security and opportunity for everyone, at every stage of life.

“That is our ambition. To build a country where whoever you are and wherever you live you can have the chance of a good education, a decent job, a home of your own and the peace of mind that comes from being able to raise a family and enjoy a secure retirement.

“A country that backs those who work hard and do the right thing.

“This is the Queen’s Speech for working people from a ‘one nation’ government that will bring our country together.

“We have a mandate from the British people, a clear manifesto and the instruction to deliver. And we will not waste a single moment in getting on with the task.”

First Minister meets Prime Minister – no meeting of minds but progress made

First post-election talks are ‘constructive and helpful’

More powers for the Scottish Parliament and tackling austerity were on the agenda as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met Prime Minister David Cameron at Bute House yesterday.

During their first face-to-face talks since the general election, the First Minister welcomed a commitment by the Prime Minister to look at proposals from the Scottish Government to extend Holyrood’s power beyond the plans outlined in the Smith Commission.

Ms Sturgeon also welcomed the Prime Minister’s agreement that legislation currently being drafted to take forward further devolution would implement in full the Smith Commission proposals and also take account of the report published by the Scottish Parliament’s Devolution Committee earlier this week.

The discussions, described by the First Minister as “constructive and helpful”, also covered her desire to tackle austerity, with further proposals on how this could be achieved within the UK Government’s own fiscal mandate now to be submitted by the Scottish Government and considered by the Prime Minister in due course.

To take forward these points, the First Minister and Prime Minister also agreed to much closer contact between their respective governments, with a commitment to increasing the number of bilateral meetings between the pair.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I was pleased to welcome the Prime Minister to Bute House for what were constructive and helpful talks on a range of issues following the outcome of the UK general election.

“During the meeting, we had a productive discussion about the Smith Commission proposals and where we might go beyond them. From that, two things of importance were agreed. Firstly, there was a commitment from the Prime Minister that the legislation being drafted will fully implement the Smith Commission proposals and take account of the conclusions of the Holyrood committee report that was published yesterday.

“Secondly, the Prime Minister agreed that he would look at proposals the Scottish Government will bring forward on how we go beyond the Smith Commission in various important areas. There was no agreement on the substance of that, but the Prime Minister has said he will consider our proposals and there will be a meeting, in the first instance, between the Deputy First Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland to look at how we take that further forward.”

The First Minister continued: “The Prime Minister and I have agreed to meet more regularly, which is a good step forward. We have also agreed to much closer contact between Ministers in the Scottish and UK governments to discuss issues of common interest and policies that impact on Scotland at a much earlier stage – that’s all very positive.

“David Cameron and I are a world apart politically but, where we can, I’m determined that we do business in the interest of people in Scotland and across the UK and I’m determined to have a constructive and business-like relationship.

“I hope that the Prime Minister can now show he can respond and deliver a better deal for Scotland, with an empowered Scottish Parliament with the powers over business taxes and employment law, the minimum wage and welfare that enables us to grow our economy, get more people into jobs, and lift people out of poverty. Because, ultimately, that is what this process is all about.”

The First Minister confirmed that discussions had also covered austerity and public spending across the UK. She said: “The Prime Minister has a fiscal mandate, but even within that that I believe there is enough flexibility to ease the pain of austerity, invest in the things that matter while still getting the debt and deficit down. We have agreed to send our analysis and proposals to the UK Government and he has agreed to look at them. I have a duty as First Minister of Scotland to stand up for the things I believe the people of Scotland want and I will not shy away from doing that.”The visit came within a week of the election result, and the Westminster government says this underlines the Prime Minister’s commitment to renewing and refreshing the United Kingdom and the importance he places on the respect agenda.

Speaking before the meeting, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I am here today to underline my commitment to our United Kingdom and Scotland’s important place within it.

“That means remaining true to the promise we made to implement the all-party Smith agreement to make Scotland one of the most accountable and powerful devolved parliaments in the world.

“It also means recognising those things which unite us in these islands: the achievements we have made together, the institutions we have built together, our great social history, the common economic challenges we face today, and the strength which comes from pulling together for the common good in the future. This is our one nation agenda in action.

“Scotland has two governments and it is the duty of the First Minister and myself to respect each other’s roles and responsibilities and to work together for the benefit of all the people of Scotland.

“As more powers are devolved to Scotland, it is time to move beyond the debate about processes and focus on those bread and butter issues that affect every family in our United Kingdom – jobs, homes, good schools and strong public services, and dignity and respect in retirement. These are the building blocks we need to provide a brighter future for people in every part of our country.”

Murphy: ‘Overwhelmed by history and by circumstance’

‘We will be again the change that working people need’ – Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has responded to his party’s near wipeout in yesterday’s general election by promising to fight to make Labour the natural voice for working people once again.

Time is not on his side. The party that has dominated the Scottish political scene for so long – in the industrial heartlands it’s said they used to weigh the Labour votes, not count them – has been reduced to one solitary MP: and the Scottish Parliamentary Elections are just a year away.

Mr Murphy, who lost his own East Renfrewshire seat last night, divides opinion both inside and outside the Labour Party, but it will come as no surprise to many that he’s decided to tough it out while Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage (perhaps!) have called it a day.

He’s a fighter is oor Jim, and in a typically combative message to members said Labour will bounce back after having been ‘overwhelmed by history and by circumstance’:

Firstly, thank you.

Thousands of members and activists worked so hard for Labour across Scotland and across the UK for a Labour Government. Your dedication is extraordinary.

I want to thank the 700,000 people across Scotland who voted Labour yesterday. Those people voted for the most radical Scottish Labour manifesto in a generation.

We are coming to terms with a dreadful night for our party.

Far worse than that we have the realisation of a terrible day for Scotland, and for working class people across the UK, as David Cameron forms another government.

The friends and colleagues lost have been faithful servants to our party and forceful advocates for their constituents.

But this isn’t about us. It isn’t about individual’s careers.

Because while we have lost seats the thing that hurts most is the loss of hope that will be felt as we face another five years of a government totally lacking in vision and compassion.

I didn’t stand for leader out of a sense of personal ambition. I stood because I knew that Scottish Labour after losing in 2007 and 2011 and after the emotional hangover of the referendum faced the biggest challenge in our 127 year history.

As Leader I wanted to take responsibility for meeting these challenges and I still do.

Our campaign was energetic and professional on the ground.

But we have been overwhelmed by history and by circumstance. We make no excuses. A party can never blame the electorate.

Scotland deserves a stronger Scottish Labour Party. Working class people need the party back on its feet.

So where now for Scottish Labour?

We have to start from our strengths. And here the success of the SNP strategy offers us a guide on how to move forward.

‘We have been beaten by a party who claimed our heritage, clothed themselves in our values, and copied many of our policies.

We will take confidence in the principles behind our policies and we will renew and retarget them for the Scottish election.

With less than a year to the Scottish Parliament elections. We cannot afford another period of introspection.

People need Labour now.

They need a strong opposition.

They need us to be what we have always been at our best: a voice for working people.

This morning as the sun rose we were hurting.

But in a morning like this, before too long.

We will bounce back.

We will again be the change that working people need.

Babies will receive Meningitis B vaccine ‘as quickly as possible’

Vaccine to be part of Scottish childhood immunisation programme

All infants in the UK are to be offered a vaccination against meningitis B following a deal struck between the Westminster government and drug manufacturing giant GlaxoSmithKline. The agreement was also reached on behalf of the Scottish Government and Scotland’s health secretary Shona Robison said the vaccine will be offered here ‘as quickly as possible’.

The NHS will now introduce the vaccine, Bexsero, to the immunisation programme for infants. Vaccination will prevent the life-threatening strain of meningitis to all infants – around 1,200 people, mainly babies and children, get meningitis caused by the meningococcal group B bacteria each year in the UK, with around one in 10 dying from the infection.

The vaccination will be given in three doses at two, four and 12 months, with all babies in Scotland aged two months at the point of introduction being eligible. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has also advised that when the programme starts there should be a one-off, catch-up programme for babies aged three and four months of age.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “The Scottish Government has been consistent in its support for the introduction of the Meningitis B vaccine, Bexsero. We will now work to roll out the vaccination programme as quickly as possible.

“The Meningitis B vaccine will now form part of the routine childhood immunisation programme in Scotland, underlining our commitment to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our children.

“Meningitis B is life-threatening and can affect people of any age, but is most common in babies and young children. By offering this vaccine as part of the routine programme we will be able prevent this and save lives. This disease can be devastating for children and their families and I’m very pleased we can now take the necessary steps to tackle its effects.”

Lazarowicz: justice for Thalidomide victims plea

‘The German government surely owes a moral debt to those who have suffered’ – Mark Lazarowicz MP

Mark Lazarowicz MP is among a number of Labour MPs to have written to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, calling for the German Government to engage in dialogue with representatives from the Thalidomide Trust and to look to compensate victims who are now in their 50s so that their increasing health needs can be met.

The drug was manufactured by a German company, Grünenthal, and was prescribed in the UK mainly for use by pregnant women to treat morning sickness between 1958 and 1961 but was then withdrawn after concern over side-effects.

It is now clear that the manufacturer had prior knowledge of the dangers of Thalidomide which were ignored – and those people affected and their families should have been entitled to a much larger settlement than they agreed to at the time.

The North and Leith MP said: “I am regularly contacted by people here in Edinburgh whose lives have been affected by Thalidomide – the compensation paid to Thalidomide victims in the UK remains inadequate, yet their health needs are complex and increasing as they and their families age.

“The German government surely owes a moral debt to those who have suffered as a result – if families had known of the prior knowledge that existed they could have pressed for much higher compensation.

“I call on the German government to sit down with the Thalidomide Trust and agree to compensation that will allow victims’ health needs to be met as they get older and bring them justice at last.”

Around 40% of babies affected died at or shortly after birth whilst over 10,000 people worldwide were born with a disability as a result. The Thalidomide Trust currently supports 468 survivors in the UK, over 50 of whom are in Scotland.

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

“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?

Budget is ‘last chance to change flawed economic policy’

Today’s UK Budget provides the last opportunity for the Chancellor to scrap his failed austerity measures Deputy First Minister John Swinney said today. He said the final budget ahead of the General Election should be focused on delivering economic growth by tackling inequality.

In his final call to the Chancellor ahead of the Budget the Deputy First Minister urged him to scrap his failed economic policy. In the June 2010 Budget, the Chancellor stated that the UK Government was ‘on track to have debt falling and a balanced structural current budget by the end of this Parliament’. He has failed on both measures. Rather than debt falling as a share of GDP in 2014-15, it is now forecast to continue rising. Likewise, instead of running a structural current budget surplus in 2014-15, the UK Government is now forecast to run a structural current deficit of almost £50 billion (2.7% of GDP).

Speaking ahead of the UK Budget John Swinney said: “The current UK Government’s economic policy is fundamentally flawed and is damaging Scotland’s recovery. Despite the deep spending cuts we have seen, the Chancellor has not achieved the deficit reduction targets he set himself in his first budget in 2010.

“Between 2009/10 – 2014/15, Scotland’s budget has fallen by around 11% in real terms, within this capital expenditure has fallen by around 34%. This means our budget has been cut by a staggering £3.5 billion in real terms since 2009/10.

“And it doesn’t stop there. Scotland’s cumulative share of the cuts to day-to-day public spending over the 5 years to 2019-20 is forecast to be worth around £14.5 billion compared to 2014/15 levels.

“There is an alternative. George Osborne can use today’s budget to stop these deep cuts and grow our economy instead.

“The Scottish Government is doing all it can, within its limited powers, to support Scottish finances. The latest Scottish GDP figures show the economy grew by 3.0 per cent over the year to Q3 2014 – the fastest annual rate of growth in seven years – while the number of people in employment has risen by 180,000 since its post-crisis low in Spring 2010 and is now at a record high of over 2.6 million.

“However, successive UK budgets and Autumn Statements have undermined the Scottish Government’s ability to support economic revival, particularly through the significant cuts the Chancellor has made to capital investment over the spending review period and, in some cases, the in-year reductions he has made to the Scottish Government’s published spending plans.

“In addition to our proposals on austerity, the Budget must also deliver a permanent shift to a more competitive and predictable north sea oil tax regime, which will allow investors to shift their focus away from fiscal risk and towards the significant investment opportunities that remain in the North Sea.

“The Scottish Government has set out three key priorities for fiscal reform at this Budget:

an immediate reversal of the 2011 increase in the Supplementary Charge;
an investment allowance to provide a simple, stable and more competitive fiscal regime; and
an exploration tax credit to help increase exploration and sustain future production.

“I hope that the Chancellor will have listened to reasoned proposals ahead of delivering his budget and that economic growth and tackling inequality will be given equal representation in this final budget before the General Election.”

The Chancellor will deliver his budget speech at 12:30.

Lazarowicz: time for tough action on tax dodgers

‘Paying tax is a basic duty of every citizen to fund the services, the hospitals, schools, we all depend on: tax cheats must not be allowed to escape paying their fair share.’ – Mark Lazarowicz MP

Speaking the day before the Chancellor delivers the Budget Mark Lazarowicz MP has called for tough action against tax dodging and declared his strong support for Oxfam’s campaign for a new Tax Dodging Bill.

The North and Leith MP attacked the Government for failing to take responsibility to tackle the systematic abuse now revealed at HSBC in Switzerland with clients being helped to conceal so-called “black accounts” from tax authorities and collusion with corruption.

Mark Lazarowicz said: “I am calling for tough action and new legislation to tackle tax dodging by individuals or corporations: it can’t just be shrugged off as something everyone does – they don’t, millions of people work hard every day and still pay their fair share.

“The Government has refused to take responsibility for tackling systematic tax fraud of the kind recently revealed at HSBC: simply passing the buck to Revenue and Customs won’t do.

“Tax avoidance by corporations in the world’s poorest countries is shamefully depriving them of vital revenue.

“Here in the UK we will not rebuild trust in politics if tax dodging by the megarich is left unpunished whilst severe benefit sanctions are imposed for often trivial reasons forcing increasing numbers to turn to food banks.

“Paying tax is a basic duty of every citizen to fund the services, the hospitals, schools, we all depend on: tax cheats must not be allowed to escape paying their fair share.”

Mark Lazarowicz spoke in a major debate on tax dodging last month and you can find his speech here. He is pictured at an event outside Parliament today supporting Oxfam’s campaign for an anti—tax dodging Bill. You can find more details of Oxfam’s campaign here.

Food bank fear factor: Holyrood committee ‘surprised and saddened’

‘It is a sad state of affairs when vulnerable people are frightened to engage with the very system that is supposed to offer them support and care.’ – Michael McMahon MSP

Evidence that shows the link between the UK Government’s welfare reform and an increase in the use of food banks has been sent to Scotland Office Minister David Mundell MP by the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee.

This follows a call from Mr Mundell to show him evidence of the impact of these policies after he expressed doubt that an increase in food bank use was as a direct result of welfare reform.

Much of this evidence has now been forwarded to UK Ministers and the Department of Work and Pensions – but many benefit claimants declined to send in their cases for fear that they might be subject to unfair treatment and reprisals from the DWP if their identity is revealed.

Committee Convener Michael McMahon MSP said: “The Welfare Reform Committee has amassed a growing volume of evidence documenting the impact of welfare reform on Scotland’s communities. We have now sent a further batch of evidence to Mr Mundell and the DWP. However, what we discovered during the course of our enquiries has surprised and saddened us. It is a sad state of affairs when vulnerable people are frightened to engage with the very system that is supposed to offer them support and care.”

Deputy Convener, Clare Adamson MSP said: “UK Government ministers continue to turn a blind eye to the appalling impact that their welfare policies are having on some of the most vulnerable members of society. We have now provided Mr Mundell and the DWP with irrefutable evidence that benefits cuts and sanctions are driving people in ever greater numbers to seek the assistance of food banks and other charities.”

The Background:

Committee’s letter to Rt Hon David Mundell MP.
David Mundell MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland, gave evidence to the Committee on 3 February 2015 link to official report.
The Committee first evidenced the link between welfare reform and food bank use in its report, published in June 2014.
The Committee has submitted a file of evidence to Mr Mundell and the DWP. To protect identities, this information is not being published. The Committee received evidence from a number of housing and third sector organisations acting on behalf of their clients, and MSPs on the Committee also brought forward case studies involving their constituents. Evidence includes benefits recipients who have been sanctioned and individuals whose benefits payments has been subject to delay, all of which has led to an increased demand on food bank services.