Dear Willie...

Letter sent to Willie Bain our beloved MP in Glasgow North East

Hello William,

I have just read your leaflet, as delivered to my household on 11/4/15. I have numerous questions arising from this, and would like to seek some answers from you. I hope you can take the time to answer.

The first thing that is brought to my attention is that our NHS is in "crisis". Can you please tell me why your party denied this pre-referendum?

It then says that "our families" are £1600 per year worse off under the Tories and that your Party will fight against this. May I point out that Labour voted WITH the Tories on further austerity? May I also point out that Labour have had the GNE seat for in excess of 80 years, and that it's one of the poorest constituencies in the country. I mean, the Tories haven't always been in charge....can I have your thoughts on this?

The next thing that is brought to my attention is that Labour will increase the minimum wage to £8. Other Parties have quoted £8.70 and £10 respectively, so why does £8 make you the better choice? Also, may I ask why Labour voted against the other proposed rises in favour of a lower proposal?

I then see that Labour plan to abolish "exploitative" Zero-hour contracts. It is a well known fact that in excess of 500 staff-members are employed by Labour on such contracts. Does this mean that you are admitting that your Party currently exploits people? Also, can you please explain why, after Tony Blair promised the same thing in 1995, we are still no further forward 20 years later?

The leaflet also mentions the mansion tax that your Party proposes. How many homes in Britain are worth £2m plus? I can't imagine that such tax will cover much. Can you please explain just how much this tax will cover?

I also see that you say that if we don't vote Labour, the Tories will get in. I'd like to point out that Scotland voted Labour in 1951, 1955, 1959, 1970, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992 and 2010 and got Tory anyway? That's a staggering 10 from the last 15, so kind of disproves your notion. Can I ask why you still think that voting Labour beats the Tories?

We have here an opportunity to have a Labour/SNP government, going by the polls. Do you not think that Labour not working with the SNP would allow the Tories in? Given that your printed assertion is wrong?

I note you also mention that you are anti-austerity. May I then ask why your Party voted FOR the cuts alongside the Tories? And why Ed Balls has said he won't change any of the current Tory plans?

Moving on to the 50p tax for £150,000 plus earners. Well, there aren't many of them in the UK. In fact, the Prime Minister doesn't even earn that. So....how much will this cover?

Finally, may I ask why your leaflet does not offer any advice on what YOU will do for us? You've been my MP for 6 years, and you do not say one thing that YOU will do for GNE.

I know that's a lot of questions. But they're the questions that immediately run through my head upon reading your promotional leaflet. I hope you can answer my concerns, and convince me it is not just the "same old".

Thanks,

James Gilchrist

reproduced with the kind permission of the author.

Gains of Yes: 2 : Westminster has lost touch with its People

I am for YES because the London political parties have offered Scotland very little since the end of the 1970s. 

There is very little difference between the Self-servatives, Lavender Labour and the Fib Dems on so many policies – i.e. all their platforms are based on a neo-liberal agenda that seems alien to many Scots even if many of them go out and vote for these parties in the hope that they may offer something different. 

 At least in Scotland we have the SNP Government who have done what they can, with the few powers they actually have, and have offered more than Waste-monster has in years…

1. Free Prescriptions
2. Abolition of tuition fees for further and higher education
3. Council tax freeze
4. Balanced budget (how different from the UK as a whole)
5. Preservation of free personal care despite budget cuts from Westminster
6. Public sector NHS wherever possible 
7. Abolition of bridge tolls (including Forth, Tay, Erskine and Skye)
8. Improved capital spending to help the economy
9. Protection from some of the worst ravages of the austerity programme, and cuts in the welfare system being foisted on Scotland by a Government it did not vote for. I am very aware that this cannot go on forever (another reason to vote YES).
10. And there are many more.

Vote YES to continue this work. Vote NO to stall it and perhaps have it all destroyed due to Westminster austerity cuts.

WHAT POLITICAL PARTY CHOICES ARE THERE?

In England and in the UK as whole (because of the imbalance in parliamentary seats between the constituent countries) there are only 3 parties ever likely to be part of a UK Government at the present time.

These are …

1. Conservatives
2. Labour
3. Liberal Democrats

CON: The price of everything and the value of nothing.

The Conservatives know the price of everything and the value of nothing. They run the country like UK plc screwing down the workforce to the lower pay values possible. They believe in business and money, freedom, and the rights of the individual (if they are successful in monetary terms) to choose. They remove rights and laws protecting those at the bottom of society and by inference or direct statement blame the most vulnerable for being a drain on the country. They are not in hock to the Unions but are instead the bedfellows of big business and the rich and are funded by them. Traditionally they are also the party of the landed gentry and the hereditary principle. The usual colour they are represented by is blue.

LAB:  should change its colour from Red to an increasingly bluish lavender

The Labour Party was once a party of principle who believed in sorting societies ills to make a better future for all the people of the UK. They believed that all essential industries and utilities should be owned by the people and run for their benefit. They set up the National Health Service offering health care free, to be available as required rather than on the ability to pay. They carried through and enhanced the Beveridge Liberal vision of a welfare state. They are still in a large part funded by the Unions who are themselves funded by a large proportion of the UK population. However the post Thatcherite Labour Party is a shadow if it’s former self and should change its colour from red to an increasingly bluish lavender. It has accepted most of the 1980s Conservative ideology meaning there isn’t much to distinguish it from the Tories, except you can expect them to be a bit less concerned about the price of everything and more likely to know the value of something, although recently they have gained the notoriety of being in charge during the 2008 financial crisis. I believe they actually did the right things (as compared to the Conservatives who would have let the banks go to the wall at the time) but got no thanks from the electorate due to the preceding years of profligacy.

There was a remarkable similarity between the two UK conference sets recently of the Conservatives and Labour party. Both had a blue background and both included the Union flag. Similar in design and similar in basic ideology with slightly more social minded policies from Labour.

LIB DEM:  They are represented by a golden yellow colour (that sums them up!)

The once mighty Liberal Party now the Liberal Democrats who came up with the majority of the welfare state is now likely to only get into Government as bedfellow to either one or other of the big two mentioned above and has been in this position since World War 2. They claimed to be principled prior to the 2010 election spouting ‘an end to broken promises’, fairer student funding, a fairer UK electoral system, and Mr ‘read my lips’ Clegg stated that he would never go into coalition with the Conservatives as they were not progressive in their hopes for a better society. They are represented by a golden yellow colour (that sums them up!). However all that got ditched in 2010 and now they are no different to either of the above. Indeed it could be argued that they are worse. At least you know that you are going to get brutalised by the Conservatives and incompetence from Labour. After 2010 you could anything at all from the Liberal Democrats!?*!

Danny Alexander in shock as he is told he is not a Conservative but a Liberal Democrat MP.

There must be something better, surely! Anyone?

If you want to pick a party that is likely to get into power in a UK General Election then (barring in one English Constituency i.e. Brighton Pavilion where the Green Party of England and Wales got its first representative) you are completely bereft of a choice that offers any moral, just, principled argument based on anything but how much everything costs in monetary terms. I do not believe the English people are so mercenary. There must be something better, surely! Anyone?

Fortunately in Scotland there is the SNP

Fortunately in Scotland there is a fourth realistic choice the SNP. The SNP in its first majority Government within the Scottish Parliament has done things that Labour should be fighting for i.e. free prescriptions for all, free university tuition fees, the return of at least a partial student grant, keeping the NHS from being privatised, etc. Unfortunately they are never going to have a majority in the Westminster Parliament as they only stand in Scottish constituencies.

It is about time Scotland learned that it could have a new future away from the above UK ‘choice’ (is it really a choice?). Only by voting YES in the forthcoming Scottish Independence Referendum can they have a new start. Will they chose this? I hope so.

A plead from an CFS/ME sufferer to vote YES

I have a chronic illness called chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as ME) with fybromyalgia which has no effective treatment although I take medication which reduces a number of the symptoms.

I am in the red no matter what I do or what I do without

Thank you SNP Scottish Government for removing prescription charges. Being charged anything at the moment would be too much as week on week I am in the red no matter what I do, or do without. I would have to forgo some if not all of my medication if prescriptions were not free.

I am fortunate

I am fortunate I know to have worked for getting on for 20 years allowing me to pay into a UK system which I thought was there to care for me when the worst happens.

I was too ill to appear the decision that said I was in ATOS’ opinion 100% fine

It seems in that respect I was somewhat naïve, as I have been left with no income whatsoever several times during my illness as I was too ill I to appeal the decision stating that in the DWPs or ATOS’ opinion I was 100% fine. At least I didn’t die which has happened to some, and at least I had some money in the bank to tide me over.

I want the 19 years of wasted contributions back

I am also aware that if I had worked for only a year I would be receiving the same benefit, and would love now to get the 19 years of wasted contributions back.

I have been penalised over and over for being responsible when I was working

Throughout the years I was working I saved money allowing me to graduate my disappearance into poverty, although almost always I have been penalised for this as my benefits were reduced as a result.

At least one worry has been removed?

Despite my best efforts my savings are almost gone, so at least the reduction to my benefits worry has been removed!? Small comfort.

I feel as though I am being punished for becoming ill

I feel as though I am being punished for becoming ill getting the small amount of money from the DWP in Employment and Support Allowance (although at least at present I am getting it!).

Without the help of family and friends many weeks I would be going hungry

I am expected to run my house on a little over £100 per week. Out of that I require to keep the roof over my head, pay the factor, pay for food, travel, the water part of my Council Tax, electricity, etc.

I am already cold throughout the winter and have no social life to save money

Without the help of family and friends many weeks I would be going hungry. I am already cold throughout the winter and have no social life to save money.

On a yearly basis the UK Govt. and their well paid servants ATOS, threaten to take this meagre amount of money away from me

On a yearly basis the UK Government, and their well paid servants ATOS, threaten to take this meagre amount of money away from me and force me onto Job Seekers Allowance which is even less, and is designed for well people looking for jobs.

Trying to get myself well is a big enough job most of the time

I would love to get a job (although trying to get myself well is a big enough job most of the time), and I am constantly trying to think of a job which I can do whilst ill (being a blogger is not well paid, I am currently in credit by £0, although I do hope for some pin money hence the ads on this site – I get paid if somebody is kind enough to press the link on one of them – although I am rather ashamed of needing/wanting to have them here, as my country must come before me particularly on this occasion). 

In a rich country such as the UK this is obscene

In a rich country such as the UK (and in particular such a resource rich country as Scotland) it is to me obscene that ill people as left in such situations as I find myself in, through no fault of my own. I have done everything possible right yet the UK systems are failing me. The trajectory of UK social security policy is to demonise the poor and ill more and more hoping that they will somehow disappear and not be such a drain on society.

My particular disgust is always reserved for the Tories (also known as the Nasty Party)

Only two parties are ever likely to be in power in the UK system, with the Liberal Democrats possibly filling in to prop up either Conservative or Labour Governments. All 3 of these parties have similar policies these days, particularly when it comes to social security (although my particular disgust as regards this issue is always reserved for the Tories, also known as the nasty party).

The UK is not OK for the vulnerable in our society

Only by the Scots voting YES in the 2014 independence referendum can I see any possibility that things will substantially change. PLEASE, PLEASE Scotland vote for a NEW politics and give some hope to the poor, ill and disenfranchised in your society. The UK is not OK for the vulnerable in our society.

The original film of the above can be found on Youtube on the Kevin Donnelly channel at this address...
Better Together on Poverty