A masterpiece of timing
Here’s Kezia Dugdale in the Scotsman:
Now, to be honest we’re not sure we remember exactly when that was. Was it when Scottish Labour were threatening to slash “something for nothing” public services? Was it when Rachel Reeves said “we are not the party of people on benefits” (which is almost half the country)? Was it when Tom Harris said “we weren’t set up as some sort of charity to help the poorest in society”?
All we do know is, if we were a prospective Labour leader and we were going to make comments like that at all, we probably wouldn’t choose to do it just hours before a Tory chancellor was going to produce a budget battering living hell out of the most vulnerable in society and throwing 500,000 children in Scotland alone into poverty.
Because, y’know, we might be idiots, but we’re not complete idiots.
No Stu, we are not idiots and we can get angry at those who presume we are.
Keep up the good work.
Our day will come,
Dugdale is wholly unsuited to politics.
She’s the officious assistant at the complaints desk trained to block customer complaints.
I am so glad she never did get a job with the SNP those years ago #Closeshave
Maybe someone with a bit of time to spare might like to do similar for oor Kez
link to facebook.com
Maybe she’s after the Tory voters, seriously though she really needs to look at the people around her feeding her these stupid soundbites, JoLa got ripped to shreds for her something for nothing comments. What is they say about people who continually repeat mistakes hoping for a different outcome.
In fairness, being an elected Labour politician in Scotland makes you an extremely vulnerable member of society, and I think we were all under the impression that they were the only people Labour cared about these days. So she’s actually being 100% accurate.
She can’t honestly think that saying that is going to make anyone believe it … can she?
The most amazing thing, whether she knows it’s rubbish or actually believes it (which is difficult to comprehend, is that she would think people might take her seriously.
The poor woman is, indeed, being very badly advised, or is misguided in her thinking.
That wummin needs to talk to a stylist. Whit an unflattering screen snatch.(Steady at the back there!)
Ach ah feel sorry fur yir Paw though I’ve nae doots he loves ye pet.
The Labour Party is dead, the corpse just hasn’t stopped twitching yet.
I can’t help it, in that photo above Kezia’s face reminds me of a happy sheepdog, expecting praise from her owner for rounding up the stray voters err sheep…
It seems obvious that the SNP is the party of aspiration in Scotland when you look at the big picture.
Pretty hard for Labour to compete with nationhood over regionalism.
Osborne’s budget, today, will be brutal and disproportionately punitive towards Scotland.
He is simply doing his job in representing the interests of those he represents – i.e. the top 1% income earners based in London.
Despicable as this is, it is less so than Kezia Dugdale’s attempt distance Labour from the ‘vulnerable’ in an attempt to further her career.
The majority of Scots are only one or two pay cheques away from vulnerability, anyway.
Labour’s, long term, big challenge is how to maintain the evolutionary decline of its leadership, as each has been worse than their predecessor. Where do they go after Kezia now that Benny from Crossroads is dead?
Great photo.
What is a “big tent plan”? Answers on a wee postcard to Kezia.
So according to her the “vulnerable” have no aspirations?
Define aspirations? It is a hope or ambition of achieving something.
So to be able to walk with little pain is an aspiration for me.
To be well enough to do some housework today.
And OT I’m fed up hearing about this productivity stuff. If all of those employed to mutter on about it actually produced something productivity would go up!!!!
They ARE working for the most vulnerable in society. Surely the most vulnerable people in Scotland must be Labour MSPs, about to be thrown on the scrap heap with no qualifications, no job prospects and likely to be derided as benefit scroungers by their ex-employers. Us.
They can join the rest of us whom they have also failed to help, with Kesia’s helpful boot up their backsides.
Maybe she should have a read at good old Gordies History of the Labour Party, or maybe not.
I tend to think that Labour have outlasted their usefulness. Actually can someone tell me when they actually were useful. Even the NHS wasn’t their idea, they pinched it and then spent the entire time trying to kill it.
Why do people still vote for them?
The ironic thing is that Osborne could easily raise the minimum wage to the living wage, at the same time lift a load of low paid employees out of the working tax credit bracket.
Not going to happen unfortunately, but I have a smile on my face just thinking of the Labour party response if he did.
Kezia is obviously a representative of New Labour – you know the party that values power and position above ideals and espouses Tory values in its pursuit of the middle class vote.
Labour was just as successful a political force in principled opposition than it ever was in Government. As has been often remarked “power corrupts” though perhaps more accurately “the desire for power corrupts”.
What is more interesting is the media and the BBC’s continued pretence that the three unionist parties command significant support. In fact in political terms they exist only through the media as they have virtually no rooted organisation on the ground.
The photo looks like Kezia should have a nightie on, or perhaps shows the effect of half a dozen alco pops.
She’s as good a gift as Murphy was. She’ll last until they get wiped out next year. Then it’s the end of them.
I suppose they need to find a niche somewhere on the political spectrum. And, now that the SSP Greens and SNP have filled everything from centre to left, that leaves only right of centre.
Today is right wing idealogical Tory budget day. Perhaps it is a good time to squeeze in beside the Tories as they move even further to the right.
It is about time Labour dropped the word Labour from their title … you know, connotations of ordinary working people etc., doesn’t quite suit New New Labour.
UncleBob,
‘Big tent plan’? That’ll be the dormitory wing of the shortly to be announced new workhouse.
How Sad.
On a brighter note,having reviewed the EVEL debate yesterday, and todays offering from the prospective Branch Leader of Labour, it is obvious the Tories and Labour are doing our work for us.
If Westminster had used normal tactics and sidelined the SNP members in every vote ,then people may have come to the conclusion that perhaps voting Labour as a National Party may have more benefits in terms of Scotlands voice being heard.
However,Labours denial of the less priveleged in society.and the Tories EVEL fiasco.have combined to give a sense of being disenfranchised to citizens North of the border.
I have no doubt todays budget will cement that feeling of isolation.
Ms Dugdale reminds me of a machine I had to repair when I worked in heavy industry. It was device for cleaning out 45 gallon steel drum that had been used for very thick ship’s dirty and tarry fuel oil.
The machine tumbled the drums, much like a milk churn. This while the drums had some steel shot, (like small ball bearings), inside. It really wasn’t very efficient but it made a hell of lot of noise.
The sooner they just ditch their phoney “party of the people/we’re real socialists, honest” facade, the better.
Labour cannot EVER proclaim that they protect the poor, things have over a very long time under Labour, got worse. Sound bites is all you get.
Here, they are only a part of UK labour, yet constantly refer to “Scottish Labour”. There is none, never has been.A voting tactic, that is all.
No matter how they dress it up, even if they form “Scottish Labour” it will be a con, they will always drive the wishes of Westminster Labour. They need to face up to events, they have been exposed, and the people of Scotland have been shocked at what they see. A long long time before they recover, if at all. Treachery is richly rewarded here.
I’m just going to patronisingly say this wee lassie’s flogging a dead DUG
(patronisingly)??
No comment Abstain
A stain on Democracy. How much is she picking up again, in salary and expenses of Scottish taxpayers money to make these obscene comments. Talking herself out of a post. 2016 can’t come soon enough. The Gov has a reponsiblity to protect the most vulnerable people in society not just those who can work. Consider the young, the old, the sick and the vulnerable to have a cohesive society. More equal societies are the most cohesive and happy. More divisions of wealth, between rich and poor lead to a non cohesive, disconnected, disfranchised, illusioned society. You can’t take it with you.
Investment in education, healthcare and protecting the vulnerable leads to a more happy, healthy, cohesive society.
Oh dear. Who is telling dippity dug to come out with this tosh.
It would appear that SLAB have still not learned anything at all. Mind you, before you can learn, you have to be able to accept your mistakes. They haven’t done that yet either. It’s the voters for not listening to their message. Eh! did it never occur to them that, aye, we did get your message, but we didn’t want what they were offering.
As for the comment that ” the vulnerable have no aspirations” well that sums up SLAB exactly.
I reckon we need to wipe them out in 2016. Some folk are just too stupid to ever learn, and should not be in our Parliament.If you can’t represent the people, but instead represent only your party and their short sighted interests, well it’s time the collected their P45’s.
Oh dear Kezia.
As if we needed reminding that the Labour Party has abandoned anything remotely pertaining to its founding principles.
Utter embarrassment.
“Now, to be honest we’re not sure we remember exactly when that was.”
I think it was back in 2008 when Gordon Brown as chancellor doubled the tax rate for the lowest paid from 10% to 20%.
Oh how the Labour benches cheered, waved their pieces of paper and punched the air with glee at this budget announcement from the Great Clunking Brain. Due to the amount of Labour cheering that went on, it must have been then.
Helena Brown says:@11.18
I tend to think that Labour have outlasted their usefulness. Actually can someone tell me when they actually were useful. Even the NHS wasn’t their idea, they pinched it and then spent the entire time trying to kill it.
Helena:
Some interesting reading which may dispel the old Labour myth that they ‘founded the welfare state’
link to en.wikipedia.org
Well, I wouldn’t buy a used push bike off Kez.
O/T
There is a fly on the window. It keeps bashing into the glass expecting a different experience to it’s last headache. . . bzzzz doink! bzzzz doink!
Now, every fly has its place in the scheme of things so should I have pity on its plight and release it, should I put it out of its misery and squidge it for the dirty disease spreader it is or should I leave it to its fate which probably means death due to dehydration or brain hemorrhage (non intervention in wildlife terms)?
While I debate the issue, the cat (Nichola) has swatted and eaten it.
Here endeth the lesson.
Meh. She’s a bullshit artist but she lacks punch, charisma by-pass, too drippy etc. They need a sudden intervention from hammer of the not Scot Scots, Gordon Brown, “at last the world is hearing the voices of real people of Scotland” sort of thing. Worked Sept 18.
link to youtube.com
Are you sure that’s not a screenshot of a Karen Dunbar character from ‘Chewin’ The Fat’?
O/T.
Carmichael Case . By order continued to 31Aug / 7/8th Sept is start date . Kirkwall S/Courts shedule to busy to transfer the case/ broadcast & livestream discussed ( i dont know if that was court to court or Public broadcast.
Is there any chance she will lose her seat at Holyrood? Let’s hope so.
There would be a lot less ‘vulnerable’ people in Scotland & indeed in the UK if, for the last 20 years, Labour had actually been a socialist Party & not just a ‘me too’ Tory Party chasing right-wing votes.
But they know that; they just want to re-write history as usual.
The difference nowadays is that people are able to access alternative sources for political information. Wings is perhaps the best example of journalism that challenges the Establishment position by providing links to sources rather than just parroting the Government line which the BBC and ‘national’ press are wont to do.
Mosstrooper says:
8 July, 2015 at 11:06 am
That wummin needs to talk to a stylist. Whit an unflattering screen snatch.(Steady at the back there!)
__________
For your amusement, get any youtube video of Dugdale and pause the video in stages, there are loads more unflattering stills of her and some are quite hilarious.
O/T Apologies
Carmichael case to go ahead. Jusdge at initial hearing has concluded that there is a case to answer and has not, as Carmichael had hoped, thrown it out of court.
Petitioners 1 – Carmichael 0
The photograph says it all. I’ve spared myself listening to the whining voice. It’s enough to quash any aspirations people may have of her becoming a competent leader. Can anyone picture her enthralling a packed SSEC crowd and receiving a standing ovation? Naw. Me neither.
The Labour party, as a political opponent of any value in Scotland, is finished. But there still remain many Labour placemen in various roles who will contrive to do as much damage as possible to the SNP.
Councils, Health Boards, Educational establishments, Committees of all descriptions reek of the nepotism and croneyism that is and always has been Scottish Labour.
And let’s not forget the unions, who appear to be raising their voice in much greater abundance these days. It is clear that their leaders are Labour diehards, otherwise they would take into account the voting preferences of their members. Any disputes which arise will see the SNP blamed for bad governance by said unions, with the backing of their ‘comrades’ at Pacific Quay.
The battle still has a long way to go. A near wipe out at Holyrood 2016, followed by a council clear out the following year will restrict Labour to the minimal of input. Without the backing of the Labour controlled councils, the various institutions I mentioned earlier will start to lose their power and influence.
When there is no opposition left, who are BBC Scotland and the DR going to champion? Announcements from Kez UKOK such as the above, are only going to hasten the demise.
Referendum 2018.
I read that Kezia almost had a breakdown as she couldn’t decide on a canopy or a marquee. It was making her two tents. Boom Boom tishh!
“She said today that Labour has been seen as too concerned with the vulnerable – and must now reach out to the vast majority of Scots who want to “better themselves.”
I’ve got news for you Kezia, hen – The vulnerable want to better themselves too. They don’t want to be vulnerable. They have ambitions to rise above their vulnerability. Unfortunately, decades of Labour hegemony in Scotland has left a great many of Scotland’s in that situation.
Well well well do i see the first realization from Labour that they can not win against the SNP in 2016 and in fact have a fight to remain in opposition against the tories.
Is this the start of the onions all falling out have the red kind figured out the blue ones are much better liars than they are and played them for a sucker.
Better together what a joke i would be laughing but thinking that the tories might end up in opposition sends shivers down my spine,not that the SNP cant handle them it just feels creepy to possibly let them in through the back door and if Labour keep going the way they are then it has to be possible jeez
It’s the secret of good comedy.
If Labour won’t stand up for the poor and the downtrodden, who will? What a numpty. No wonder they’re fecked.
Fifi La BonBon strikes again!
(Allegedly…)
@ Andrew Fernie:
“I smell shite…”
Hey Kezia, did your Mum and Dad not bring you up to think but for the grace of god go I. There are a whole lot of people who strive all of their lives, they earn pittances, and sometimes they find that even dries up, these are the people that Labour were supposed to look after. You were THEIR voice. The Middle classes were not happy that there was a party for the lower orders so they took it over. You my dear are the result. The problem is that now you are vying for the middle class vote and they have an alternative, you do not really match.
@ AndyH:
“She’s as good a gift as Murphy was. She’ll last until they get wiped out next year. Then it’s the end of them.”
No. When they get wiped out at the local elections in 2017. THAT’LL be the end of them.
“Too often in the recent past it has looked like we are only on the side of one group of people – the most vulnerable in society.”
Slab IS vulnerable and facing extinction it sums them up.
SLab have only ever been interested in self interest and blaming others for their own failings.
I couldn’t believe the tripe I read from Dugdale,
That too often in the recent past it has looked like
we are only on the side of one group of people – the
most vulnerable in society.”
We saw how the previous Labour Government treated the most vulnerable in our society on who’s side it was supposed to be on when it introduced fitness for work tests for the disabled and contracted ATOS to carry them
out.
And when Labour also closed Remploy factories throwing disabled workers onto the dole queue and then condemned the Tory coalition for doing exactly the same thing.
I would hardly consider such actions from a party and
government as being on the side of vulnerable people.
It’s a sure sign of just how terminal Labour’s decline is that someone so unprepossessing, nondescript, and utterly devoid of intelligence, gravitas or charisma (not to mention ability) should have risen so far, so fast. Johann Lamont, Jim Murphy, Kezia Dugdale: the Fourth Horseman of Labour’s Apocalypse can’t be far behind…
@ Donald Urquhart 11.15. Cmon noo thats no fair Benny was entertaining & he only played the Idiot part. There,s nae playing the Idiot on Kezia,s part , thats for real, as for entertainment I,ll leave that for others to decide lol.
Jackie G, yes thank you, that was my understanding, they have never really been radical have they. They live on the backs of ignorance and boy have they not become the Democrats to the Tory, Republicans, just a name change.
They really need to be exposed for the sham they are.
Dreich.Isn’t she just dreich?
Perfect timing indeed. This is obviously coming down the red tory food chain from London HQ. All the signs indicate that trying to compete with the tories will never win another GE, and yet this seems to be the plan of action for the next five years. Oh Dear! Only a few weeks since the last GE, and they have already lost the 2020 one already. If they need votes, why don’t they go searching for those huge, downtrodden numbers of potential supporters, the lost tribe that no longer think it worth the bother? There is a huge potential harvest out there, and yet the focus is on a handful of Tory switchers in marginal seats. The SNP have shown that, if you capture folk’s imagination, you don’t need to focus on the marginals, you can sweep the board! It seems to me that the Labour party has a serious deficiency it must overcome to prevent extinction:
Leadership
[…] A masterpiece of timing […]
How is it them political types put it?
Oh aye.
I believe Ms Dugdale is mis-stating the facts.
That numptie, Cameron, on now havering about passing a, “British Bill Of Rights”. The bloody idiot has not the powers to pass a, “British Bill of Rights”, as he is only PM of “The United Kingdom”, and has no power to inflict his NAZI style policies, designed to kill off the most vulnerable people in the United Kingdom, upon the people of Britain who are not part of “The United Kingdom”.
The numptie is now talking about having passed an English Manifesto. What an absolute shower of ill mannered, badly behaved, overgrown public School boy bullies the Establishment is.
As for his EVEL plans, I’ll give him the correct answer. Get your unelected Parliament of England out of our United Kingdom Parliament and stop funding England directly with our United Kingdom funds. Start funding England with a block grant like the rest of the UK and run England with properly elected members of the English Parliament and not with UK Members that we all pay for. The rest of us are heart sick of subsidising your ragged arsed England with our United Kingdom tax money.
Mealer says: Dreich. Isn’t she just dreich?
Neat, and very droll. 🙂
The Budget Statement for anyone wishing to avoid the BBC Experts.
We’re grown up enough to make up our own minds thankyou.
ParliamentLive TV. The Commons Chamber:–
link to parliamentlive.tv
Luigi @12.14, Labour and Leadership, now those are two words which must never be spoken, well not in the same sentence thank god.
Sheesh, they never even rid themselves of those that are quite obviously a hindrance, so I doubt they will take that advice.
Proud Cybernat says:
8 July, 2015 at 11:56 am
O/T Apologies
Carmichael case to go ahead. Jusdge at initial hearing has concluded that there is a case to answer and has not, as Carmichael had hoped, thrown it out of court.
Petitioners 1 – Carmichael 0
YES!
Ye they must have figured that they have lost some of their champagne socialist vote to the blue torys and now have to try to consolidate their ‘core vote’.
What else could precipitate this outburst ?
The Daily Record.
Scottish Labour.
The United Kingdom.
All drowning not waving.
Jimbo @11.57, that was my thought too that how many of the Vunerable would be happy to strive, in fact many do, then find themselves in the situation where they no longer can. Oh I would adore to see the faces of some of the Great and The Good of the Labour Party in that situation, you would not hear yourself think for the whining. Trouble is once you get to the position of many of them, they have got back up and friends in high places who look after them. Lord Darling anyone.
The Labour Govt, having proudly introduced Invalid Carer’s Allowance in 1976 have since sat by and watched it become the most useless & unfit UK benefit over almost 40 years, either in Govt or in opposition.
It is my only income, currently at £62.10 per week, a tenner below JSA and has the worst conditionality of any benefit. In just over a month’s time, I will have been a FT carer for 21 years.
For 21 years work of 133 hours, sometimes more, a week, I’ve just nudged over a total of £50k.
Can I just ask Kezia…
When were Labour sticking up for me?
She is a buffoon and a puppet. Embarassing.
GallusEffie @12.37pm
Absolutely. Carers allowance is an insult. I hope you have had a benefits check at Citizens advice as you should possibly be eligible for Income Support, attendance allowance and C Tax reduction etc, it’s worth getting that checked. Also carers UK, Scotland, online site is very useful and would help you too.
From red Clydeside to red Morningside. SLAB and Kezia have seen the light, the tory vote is where it’s at, an at, ken?
Ms Dugdale is talking utter rot again.
Hope her Pa reads the article and takes her to one side and has a word.
…and o/t, she really needs a re-style doin’ on her hair.
Robert Peffers says:
“Start funding England with a block grant like the rest of the UK ….. The rest of us are heart sick of subsidising your ragged arsed England with our United Kingdom tax money.”
Spot on!
A ring fenced budget for England, so the don’t keep dipping into our money for their ‘national’ infrastructure projects etc etc..
The problem is of course that “an absolute shower of ill mannered, badly behaved, overgrown public School boy bullies” completely fail to comprehend England’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom with any clarity.
Joemcg says:
8 July, 2015 at 11:51 am
Is there any chance she will lose her seat at Holyrood? Let’s hope so.
No – she’ll be on the party list for the regional vote. This is a lesson Labour learned from 2011 when they lost several of their ‘leading lights’ through hubris in assuming they would walk their constituency votes.
That’s why Ruth Davidson is an MSP. She stood in Glasgow Kelvin, came 4th with 7.5% of the vote, and got her second chance via the list.
The only reason unelected Dugdale and Davidson are there is because they are inexperienced and can be manipulated as spokepersons by others. They are puppets. Go and get a job, stop troughing and do something useful.
ArtyHettie @12.44
Thanks for the reply.
I was a little disingenuous in not adding that my husband works full time, so there is one wage coming into our household of 5.
You provided very useful information for any others looking in who may be carrying out unpaid care and need advice on benefits and other care issues.
However, as a graduate who had to give up paid work to care, I ponder at and grudge a system that means I lost out on over 1/4 million pounds of lost wages, plus unquantifiable occupational pension, versus 46p/hour now.
Care is not valued by our Government, paid or unpaid. Labour is standing for neither of those categories of people.
Piss off Osborne with your ‘Rule brittania’ budget.
You do not speak for me or mine.
Listening to Osborne, it seems to me nearly all the money raised in the UK will be spent in England. My first impression.
The Scottish Gov should sue Cameron for breaking Scottish/UK/EU Law, get rid of him and get him put in jail for crimes against humanity. Along with Osbourne, Brown and Blair. Cameron want to repeal the Human Rights Act so it doesn’t apply to them, so they can get away with murder.
Where’s the Chilcot Verdict? Kept secret by civil servants who are supposed to be public servants. Years late while the Millionaires get away with murder. They want to keep on dumping nuclear waste on Scotland.
An irrelevant embarrassment.
The Greg Moodie cartoon character has more substance.
I did a little experement and attempted to recapture the vacant look Stu seems to adept at finding when he wants to portray Kezia looking particulary stupid,
Imaging my surprise that no matter when I paused my tv, the screen displayed an image (time after time even when I paused it with my back to the screen so I couldnt be accused of attempting to get her with a particularly stupid expression on her face) which could only be described as vacant, try it yourself, you simply wont be able to pause you screen and catch her in a pose which does not portray a very stupid person. 🙂
Cameron looks pished. He has been on the best red wine again, on expenses. Alcoholics make poor decisions.
Scott, Joe,
Dugdale is herself a list MSP for Lothian region.
@Unclebob
Think this could help Kezia with “big tent plans” 😉
link to m.youtube.com
galamcennalath says:
8 July, 2015 at 12:56 pm
Robert Peffers says:
“Start funding England with a block grant like the rest of the UK …..”
Absolutely agree. My no neighbours grown up kids all live in England. When I saw said neighbours last week the message was that England, by and large is doing very nicely thank you very much.
I know there are pockets which are doing very badly, like the NE as usual, of course.
The no neighbours are determined to blame the Scottish government for any social and economic problems here, ignorance abounds.
We will continue to lose our young to better off England, especially skilled people, sadly.
It would be interesting to have up to date info on migration from and to Scotland, maybe it’s out there already.
A Catholic Minister Ian Duncan Smith has cut tax credits for more than two children. Not support families. Total hypocrite.
The Westminster should be drink/ drug tested. Many of them look pished. Drunk and disorderly.
Andrew Haddow says:
8 July, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Scott, Joe,
Dugdale is herself a list MSP for Lothian region.
Indeed. As is Humza Yousaf in Glasgow. I know who I’d rather have as an MSP.
Come to think of it, Murdo Fraser, Richard Baker and Willie Rennie are list MSPs too. Apart from Humza, it’s not a great advertisement for the party list system.
Ken500 1.36
‘Many of them look pished’ ‘Drunk and disorderly ‘
Could’ve sworn I seen Murphy in the public gallery wi his face in a crisp poke full a’ evo stik as well.
How the other half live eh.
“Too often in the recent past it has looked like we are only on the side of one group of people – the most vulnerable in society.”
Is that right enough? Listen to, and believe, Scottish Labour politicians that follow the lead of their ‘bow down to your masters’ Westminster bosses. I don’t think so!
Why would anyone think of voting for Labour in future with their past track record relating to protecting the vulnerable?
Tony Blair lied to and dragged the UK, against the will of the Scottish people, into an illegal war. The results of that still reverberate today in the Middle East with millions being killed, children and women being tortured and raped and over one million people having fled their homes whilst he earns £150,000 an hour giving speeches and lolls around in any one of his multi-million pound homes.
The ‘Bedroom Tax’ was part of the Welfare Reform Act 2007 proposed by Labour.
The Labour Government applied the same bedroom restrictions to private tenants under the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) from 2008.
Under Labour zero hour contracts increased by 74% between 2004 – 2009. In 2012 / 13 Labour Councils employed nearly 23,000 people on zero-hour contracts. Labour councils are the biggest users of zero contracts.
It was the Labour Party who awarded the DWP Medical Services Contract to ATOS on the 15th March 2005.
Labour introduced privatisation / competition into the NHS: Competition Act 1998, Enterprise Act 2002, Public Sector Procurement Regulations 2006 and the the 2006 NHS Act.
Labour Lord Warner stated that people should pay a £10-a-month fee to use NHS / £20 for every night they stay in hospital.
The use of food banks went up tenfold under Labour. From 3,000 users in 2005 / 06 to over 40,000 by 2009/10. (The Trussell Trust / C4 Fact Check).
Under Labour between 1997 to 2010 the gap between rich and poor got wider.
The last Labour government doubled the rate of income tax on the lowest paid.
The Labour Party paid only £14,000 in tax last year on total income of £33.3 million. (The Spectator 30/07/2014).
MANY Labour Party Politicians have ranked HIGHEST, EVERY year, on the list of UK Politicians expense claims such as Anas Sarwar claimed £206,000 2012 / 13 and Jim Murphy claimed £196,000.
Workfare: Work for Your Benefit. The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Work for your Benefit Pilot Scheme) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1222) was legislated on 7 April 2010 and was to be applied from 22 November 2010. Pays £72 a week.
Lone Parents: The previous Labour Government’s Welfare Reform Act 2009 contained provisions to financially sanction parents, of a child of 3 or over, for failure to comply with a work related activity.
Attendance Allowance and DLA: The Labour Government released a green paper: ‘Shaping the future of care together’ which proposed abolishing the Attendance Allowance throughout the UK so that they could pay for a National Care system in England.
Carers: Carer’s Allowance was kept at a lower rate than Jobseeker’s Allowance by the last Labour Government. They promised a review, but it never happened.
The Scottish Labour Party voted with the Tories to continue the national roll-out of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in 2014 to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This will lead to 105,000 disabled people in Scotland losing finances worth at least £1,120 per year. 47,000 disabled people with severe mobility issues are expected to lose up to £2,964 per year under the new system.
Mealer says: Dreich. Isn’t she just dreich?
3rd dreich?
[…] Here’s Kezia Dugdale in the Scotsman:“Too often in the recent past it has looked like we are only on the side of one group of people – the most vulnerable in society.”Now, to be honest we’re not sure we remember exactly when that was. Was it when Scottish Labour were threatening to slash “something for nothing” public services? Was it when Rachel Reeves said “we are not the party of people on benefits” (which is almost half the country)? Was it when Tom Harris said “we weren’t set up as some sort of charity to help the poorest in society”? […]
Not just Dreich but also wersh!
Omnishambles!
Scottish labours endless quest to find new ways to be even more ridiculous, now doubles down on failure because reasons! Kezia dugdale announces new plan to be just like the Tories…shit on the heel of decency’s shoe. With one year to go Scottish branch chairperson for irrelevance, has decided to dig a grave for her clique in advance of the vote. Very decent of her don’t you think.
Unionist zoomers are said to be on high alert to attack forums and twitter streams, ready to drown us all in limp wrested hand wringing pish.
Sick bags on standby
God almighty, what a horrible screenshot of Ms Dugdale. She looks as if she has just staggered out of the nearest boozer. Maybe she is still drowning her sorrows after May 7th.
Don’t look a that image before bedtime, you’ll have trouble sleeping !
Nope …still not listening to her father. Still putting mouth before brain…
ArtyHetty 1.30
This is the starting point for info re migration.
link to gov.scot
That picture is brilliant. The only thing missing is the floppy dog ears and a bowl of water. To think that this person is the front runner to be the next Scottish Labour leader just beggars belief. She is beyond hopeless.
I just cannot believe how out of touch people like Kezia Dugdale and others in the Labour party are. I don’t think there is anything that can save a party that refuses to accept the blindingly obvious, they need to move to the left, and instead tries to follow the tory strategy for trying to get votes. They are finished in England as well as in Scotland.
I just have one word to say about Dug-face and her *ahem* claim … BULLS***E!
Kezia Dugdale is going for direct election next year — Edinburgh Eastern.
Anybody know if she is doing a davison and appearing on a regional list as well.
Or is she now living out the burning lifeboat nightmare?
link to wingsoverscotland.com
What I find obnoxious about Kezia’s statement is her assumption that the vulnerable don’t want to strive and achieve. Surely the purpose of labour is to help everyone achieve.
@Barbara McKenzie
Spot on. Labour should be looking to help everyone. The truth, sadly is they look down on people who for whatever reason are struggling and they seem incapable of attacking the Tories on this issue as they seem to have the same views themselves.
As Tory austerity bites, Labour’s new Scottish branch manager understandably doesn’t want to alienate voters in the Labour stronghold of Edinburgh Morningside by appearing to be on the side of the most vulnerable in society.
She has already said that she will move the branch headquarters from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
Why don’t they just merge with the Tories, and the Lib Dems?
Because they still want to fool the remaining folks who still vote Labour.
Proud Cybernat,
“Carmichael case to go ahead. Jusdge at initial hearing has concluded that there is a case to answer and has not, as Carmichael had hoped, thrown it out of court.
Petitioners 1 – Carmichael 0”
We already learnt yesterday that Carmichael has been found innocent in secret.
The case will go ahead because there is £60,000 of independence supporters’ money to go down the legal sewer.
Then, he will be declared innocent.
That is how the rotten to the core Scottish justice system works.
It will show a lot of sympathy for the plebs before announcing that the ruling cannot be in their favour because there is no law under which Carmichael can be found guilty.
I’ll be happy to be proved wrong.
“We want to appeal to the vast majority, who are not struggling”
To which far-flung solar system does this statement apply?
ArtyHetty@1.30
This brain drain from Scotland is a serious issue. The statistics I looked at only gave net figures, not the type of people that are coming and going. Two small, and I’m sure representative examples from my own family :
My cousin’s five children, all state educated to degree level, have left Scotland. Two to London, one to Germany, and two to Australia. The Australian lad, a doctor, along with his newly qualified Scots doctor wife, left as soon as they’d qualified, near enough. How much does it cost the Scottish taxpayer to educate a doctor from primary to full qualification? Half a million, a million pounds? I think this needs to be addressed. Either they should work at home for a certain number of years, contractually, or the receiving country be made to pay a fee. Or something.
One of my brothers has four children, all highly educated, only one remains in Scotland. One is in London earning very well in the financial sector, after originally emigrating to Australia after graduation, the other two have opted for Denmark and Slovakia respectively. They’re not earning mega bucks, but are happy because the quality of life is better.
There are many reasons why our young skilled people leave Scotland, and have been doing for years, and I don’t have all the answers, as people are free to move as they wish, but for sure this issue needs to be addressed. In the immigrant figures of those choosing to come here, I suspect many more than those leaving are filling low-paid, low-skilled jobs.
It’s a big problem for the future.
Andrew Fernie@11.48am,
That’s where I’ve seen her before, behind that shop counter wanting you to share her individual fruit trifle.
Stephen.
@ majestic 12 – It’s been a big problem in the past.
Of course, Paula, but what I suppose I was meaning was that in an independent Scotland we need to prioritise and protect our resources. No pooling and sharing, as far as I’m concerned.