Labour’s
realisation that the seat of Paisley & Renfrewshire South is at risk of
being lost has manifested itself on the negative campaign aimed at the SNP
challenger and on the blizzard of leaflets dropped upon Glenburn’s households. I’ve received four before receiving a
‘personalised’ letter from them, represented by local credit union boss Alison
Dowling, on Saturday. This is my
response to that letter.
Dear Ms Dowling.
I’ve received
your letter, which was promoted by the Paisley & Renfrewshire South
Labour party. I hope you do not mind my
response in this forum.
I am rather
perplexed with your letter overall. You
start by talking about the Tory cuts over the past five years, and the cuts
that are to come. What is perplexing is
that your party (I am assuming that you are a member of the Labour Party) has
essentially signed up to Osbornes policy of “Scorched Earth” economics. Your shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, has
confirmed that Osborne's austerity would be continuing. The confirmation of this came in Balls
speeches at the Labour conference in 2011.
And 2012. And 2013. And at last
years conference. Indeed Balls is also
quoted as saying that there is not much to Osborne’s budget delivered two weeks
ago that he would reverse. Although
Balls hasn’t committed himself to £12bn cuts from the Benefits bill, the shadow
DWP secretary, Rachel Reeves, has indicated that there will be cuts from this
department.
My confusion is
that there does not seem to be any discernable differences between yourselves
and the Tories. Both parties are reticent
at putting forward their plans and in your parties case seems to fall apart
under any sort of scrutiny, as we saw when Lucy Powell was questioned by Andrew
Neil at the weekend. So, what exactly is
this better plan?
The second reason
I’m perplexed is that you have mentioned a devolved issue in the shape of the
NHS. I’ve said before in this blog that
the second SNP government has essentially run the country on auto pilot. However any issues with the Scottish NHS are
long term issues that have essentially been covered over with money thrown at
the problem. Too many managers and not
enough front line staff being one of the problems. Essentially issues both the SNP and your
party have refused to grapple with.
I digress, the
issue I have is that surely the state of the Scottish NHS is one for discussion
at next years Holyrood Elections. Unless
of course the intention is to flag up the Barnett consequentials of any Mansion
Tax (consequentials which would be less than the figures quoted by Jim Murphy).
The last reason
I’m perplexed is in your parties trumpeting of the policy of putting the
Minimum Wage up to £8.00 by the time of the next election. I’m perplexed because the Minimum Wage would
reach £8.00 under its own steam anyway come May 2020, indeed arguably £8.00
could be seen in some quarters as a real terms cut in the Minimum Wage. I’m perplexed because a party which wants to
be taken seriously by working class voters has decided to play safe and not go
further and help voters who’s incomes have been stagnant since 2007.
Your plea that we
have to stop the Tories becoming the largest party is complicated by the fact
that your party has adopted and retained key Conservative economic policies
since 1994. It was the adoption of
Laiziz Faire economics (through “Light Touch Regulation”) which set the
conditions that enabled the banking crash of 2007/8 to occur. It was also this adherence to Tory economic
policy which saw the much fabled 50% tax rate not introduced until the last 18
months of the Brown government… and
starting £50,000 higher than it should have. Labour as well have had their share of selling
off the family silver on the cheep, the former Defence Evaluation and Research
Agency was sold off in 2002 under the name of Quinetiq while the privatisation
of the Royal Mail was Labour policy five years ago.
Like the
referendum, I’m undecided this far out from the election. What I’m almost certain about is that I won’t
be voting for a Labour party still wedded to Blairite beliefs.
Yours sincerely
Allan Moore
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