We have now launched our manifesto for the General Election on 8 June. It sets out how we will ensure that there is strong opposition to a re-elected and increasingly hard line Tory government at Westminster. read more
THE TIDE IS TURNING AGAINST THE NATIONALISTS – ALISTAIR DARLING
The tide is turning against the Nationalists as more and more voters demand they get back to the day job instead of campaigning for another divisive independence referendum, Alistair Darling said.
The former Chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of the successful Better Together campaign spoke with voters in East Renfrewshire today, where Labour candidate Blair McDougall is best placed to defeat the SNP.
While Nationalists marched in Glasgow in support of another divisive independence referendum, Labour stepped up its campaign against more SNP attempts to divide the country.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of Better Together Alistair Darling said:
“The tide is turning against the Nationalists. More and more people across Scotland just want the SNP to get on with the day job, and drop its plans for another unwanted and unnecessary referendum.
“Instead of campaigning for better standards in our schools and hospitals, once again the Nationalists have taken to the streets to campaign for another divisive independence referendum. It shows how badly out of touch the Nationalists have become with what the majority in Scotland want.
“In seats throughout the country, for example in East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh South and East Lothian, Labour is best placed to defeat the Nationalists.
“On June 8 voters can back a local Labour champion who will fight for better schools and hospitals, or an SNP candidate who will spend every day campaigning for another divisive independence referendum.”
Blair McDougall said:
“At the last General Election it was a straight contest between Labour and the SNP in East Renfrewshire. Despite rejecting nationalism in 2014 by overwhelmingly voting to remain in the UK, our area is represented by the SNP because the pro-Union vote was split.
“If voters in East Renfrewshire want to send Nicola Sturgeon a message that we don’t want another divisive independence referendum then they have to vote Labour on June 8.”
As the former Business Secretary I can’t not intervene at this decisive moment in British politics. In a speech this week I condemned the Tories and Labour for turning their backs on the economy, and explained that the Liberal Democrats … read more
Labour is
calling on the Tories to come clean on how many pensioners will be hit by their
plans for a dementia tax and means testing for Winter Fuel Payments.
With six days to go until voting, Theresa May has still not ended the uncertainty facing millions of pensioners.
Tory plans to scrap universal Winter Fuel Payments could hit as many as 10.8 million pensioners, according to a Labour analysis of Pension Credit data.
Meanwhile, the Tories are still refusing to give a figure for the cap they will put on their dementia tax, the name given to their plan to force people to pay for social care with their homes.
An analysis by the Labour Party shows the effect of the Tory dementia tax on older people living in a house worth the average UK price of £217,500 if the cap is set at £72,000 or £100,000 and they find they need home care at the capped level.
At a cap of £100,000, a person in this situation needing the capped amount of care would lose 42 percent of the value of their estate. The more someone’s house is worth, the lower the percentage they would lose.
Labour has set out its pledges to older people – maintaining the triple-lock on state pensions to protect incomes, investing £37 billion into the NHS and £8 billion into social care over the next parliament and protecting Winter Fuel Payments and free bus passes.
Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, commenting on this analysis, said:
“It is staggering that just six days from polling day millions of pensioners still don’t know what’s in store for them if they are unlucky enough to get dementia or any other condition that needs care in the home.
“The dementia tax is itself unfair but what’s made matters even worse is the way Theresa May announced a cap and then failed to say how much it would be.
“Alongside this, older people face the additional uncertainty of not knowing who will be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment. The introduction of a means test could mean more than ten million people losing the payment.
“Theresa May’s only offer to pensioners is insecurity and cuts. Labour will stand up for older people by maintaining the triple-lock on state pensions, investing £8 billion into social care over the next parliament and protecting winter fuel payments and free bus passes.”
read moreJohn McDonnell, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to Michael Fallon’s claim to protect a wealthy few from income tax changes, while not ruling out tax hikes for low and middle earners, said:
“The mask has finally slipped. The only guarantee the Tories are prepared to give at this election is to big business and high earners. While low and middle income earners have seen no guarantee from Theresa May that their taxes won’t be raised. And pensioners are left to worry about whether they will be able to heat their homes or even keep their homes, with no clarity on cuts to winter fuel payments or the dementia tax.
“This confirms that the Tories truly are the party for the few not the many. As only Labour can guarantee no rises in NICs or VAT, while 95 per cent of income taxpayers will be protected from tax hikes in the next parliament.”
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