SNP condemn government attack on rural Scotland
Posted on Wednesday, December 13 2006
"Post Office network essential to village life" - RobertsonMoray Scottish National Party MP Angus Robertson has condemned the government's announcement that thousands of mainly rural Post Offices could close under plans to re-organise the network.The Moray Member of Parliament was reacting to the announcement by the Department of Trade Industry stating that the newtwork should be massively cut.Commenting Mr Robertson said:" The continuing attacks by this Labour government on the Post Office network are totally unacceptable." If the government is proposing that up to 7,000 Post Offices should close then the job losses would be like losing two Rover factories." The government does not seem to comprehend the necessity of rural Post Offices. Post Offices are the glue of rural communities. As well as the wide range of important services available, they provide a meeting point for the rural communities they serve and are a central point of almost every village." What is particularly galling is that the reason that Post Offices are costing more is because other government organisations keep on removing services from them. Television licensing has recently been taken away and the government are constantly trying to get benefit and pension claimants to switch to direct debit rather than to using the Post Office Card Account which would help maintain the Post Office network." The Post Office cannot simply be seen as another business that can't survive unless it is profitable. The network provides a social function that cannot be measured by cost alone, similarly to rural health services and fire and ambulance cover." The SNP has campaigned and will continue to campaign vigorously against these proposals.Ends.
Chancellor's "greenwash" will hit rural communities hardest
Posted on Wednesday, December 13 2006
Moray MP Angus Robertson today (Wednesday) commented on Gordon Brown's pre-budget review and warned that the rise in fuel duty hailed as a green measure will hit rural communities hardest.Mr Robertson said:"The Chancellor chose to make much of green initiatives during the pre-budget statement but I am afraid it is just so much greenwash to disguise his real agenda, which is to extract the maximum amount of tax out of those least able to pay."The rise in fuel duty is not an environmental measure but rather another means of raising revenue. If his intentions had been green he could have raised fuel duty while announcing a tax cut on something else, preferably environmentally friendly, resulting in a revenueneutral situation."Far from it, he has upped fuel duty as part of a suite of measures designed first and foremost to boost London's coffers. As always, this sort of measure will hurt the most those who can least afford it."In this area car ownership is commonly not a luxury but a necessity for people to get to work and enjoy a reasonable quality of life. At the same time we have amongst thee lowest wages in the country. Clearly it is people in places such as Moray who will be hardest hit by the Chancellor's measures."ENDS.
SNP ON THE WAY UP AS LABOUR SUPPORT DROPS
Posted on Sunday, December 10 2006
LATEST POLL SHOWS SNP MOMENTUM CONTINUES1st vote: SNP 32% (+2%), LABOUR 35% (-3%)Commenting on the latest TNS System Three poll published today in the Sunday Herald, SNP Campaign Director Angus Robertson MP today (Sunday)said:"Voters want a successful Scotland and know now that it's time for fresh thinking from a new government. That's why the SNP are the party with momentum as we move towards the election next year."Labour's attempts to 'engender fear' have clearly failed, and have just helped more and more Scots to get behind the SNP's vision of hope for Scotland. The series of bumbling day-trips north by Labour's London ministers have simply backfired, and now their support is haemorrhaging across the country as people reject their negative message."Next year's election is a two-horse race between the SNP who are committed to success for Scotland, and a tired London-led Labour Party who continue to lose support throughout Scotland."Ends.
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