 | 'It used to be 'Education! Education! Education!'. Today it'll be: 'Resignation! Resignation! Resignation!', as the embattled Education Minister Sam Galbraith faces the wrath of the Scottish Parliament on its first day back. Or at least the wrath of the SNP and the Tories, since Labour MSPs will no doubt be banging their desks in approbation and the Lib Dems will be hiding under theirs.' Iain MacWhirter in the Herald, 5 th September 2000. |  |
The SNP launched its campaign for the Westminster and Holyrood polls with a pledge to put the big issues of jobs, poverty and health at the top of their agenda, coupled to an assault on Labour's record at council, Scottish Parliament and Westminster level.
Meanwhile, former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown appeared in the constituency, taking time out from promoting his autobiography to support his candidates.
SNP leader John Swinney, flanked by Scottish and Westminster candidates Tom Chalmers and Grant Thoms, was bullish about SNP prospects in spite of the latest Herald/System Three poll which showed Labour recovery since the record Nationalist peak of a month ago.
Labour will launch its campaign today for the twin poll on November 23, and all the indications yesterday were that the SNP will seek to turn its fire on Labour's Holyrood candidate Bill Butler, citing his rejection of New Labour verities such as the abolition of Clause Four, the introduction of proportional representation, and the transfer of council housing out of public hands.
This issue came to the fore with an echo of the earlier row about conflict over then Finance Minister Jack McConnell clawing back year-end savings from the NHS budget. This time it was claimed that page 15 of the Executive's "Making a difference for Scotland" document outlining spending plans for Scotland 2001-2004 showed more of the same.
An Executive spokesman said the two instances were not comparable. The latest £44m, which it was not denied would go into cancelling debt as part of the stock transfer process, had come from money locked in the accounts of NHS Trusts when they were wound up, and reclaiming this for the Scottish Budget was presented as a triumph over Treasury rules.
This did not prevent Shadow Health and Community Care Minister Nicola Sturgeon claiming: "The health budget is already under-funded, and it is an appalling decision to further erode NHS resources. The £44m should have been used to help remove NHS Trust debts instead of being reallocated. By the Health Minister's own figures, £44m would provide more than 500 additional doctors and more than 1000 specialist nurses.
"During the summer it emerged that £34m had been taken from the health budget and diverted into other areas, so it is astonishing that Susan Deacon has, once again, allowed a significant chunk of the health budget to be reallocated," she said.
Mr Swinney paid tribute to the late Donald Dewar, but said: "The Anniesland by-elections are about the future, and how best to stand up for the interests of Glasgow and Scotland at Holyrood and Westminster."
Scottish Parliament candidate Tom Chalmers said: "New Labour under Tony Blair promised so much. They have failed to deliver. Team McLeish "We have a positive vision, a commitment to use the Scottish Parliament's limited powers to the full to tackle Scotland's problems. We will contrast this aim in the by-elections in Anniesland with that of our political opponents, who are content to accept London rule and London solutions."
Westminster candidate Mr Grant Thoms admitted under questioning that he had once been a member of the Co-operative Party, but claimed he left because it was not allowed sufficient autonomy from Labour. He said: "Westminster still has control over huge areas of our lives. It is from Westminster that New Labour dealt our pensioners the 75p-a-week insult, slapped the fuel tax on Scotland, and took benefits away from disabled people and single parents."
The other candidates are: Labour: Bill Butler (Holyrood) and John Robertson (Westminster); Conservative: Dr Kate Pickering (Holyrood) and Dorothy Luckhurst (Westminster); Scottish Socialist Party: Rosie Kane (Holyrood) and Charlie McCartney (Westminster); Liberal Democrats: Judith Fryer (Holyrood) and Chris McGinty (Westminster); Green Party: Alastair Whitelaw (Holyrood) and Tim Shand (Westminster).
Return to home page