REAL HELP NOW WEBSITE EXCLUDES SCOTTISH WORKING POLICIES.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF LABOUR’S WEBSITE WHITEWASH.
AIRBRUSHING OF SNP ACTION EXPOSES LABOUR PETTINESS.
The Labour party have been accused of “extraordinary pettiness” over their continued airbrushing of action taken by the Scottish Government to help the economy through the recession on a website launched by the UK Government. When the ‘Real Help Now’ website was launched by Gordon Brown last week (23 Feb) it listed SNP Government action, such as the Council Tax freeze and flexible business support, within hours however, the references were removed and replaced with links to out-of-date Scotland Office statements. Conversely - efforts taken by the Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations, and even the Mayor of London, are listed on the Cabinet Office developed website. SNP Shadow Scotland Office spokesperson, Angus MacNeil MP, said: “The continued exclusion of action taken by the Scottish Government on the economy exposes the extraordinary pettiness of the Labour party. “In the face of recession, as households and high streets struggle to make ends meet, we might have hoped Labour could overcome their politics of grudge and grievance against the SNP. “The airbrushing of this website leaves the prime minister looking more like Winston Smith than his spindoctors' preferred role model of Winston Churchill. ”The fact that the website highlights efforts by the Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations, and even the Mayor of London, adds to the curiosity of it all. “Instead of references to the Scottish Government, the website links to out-of-date press releases on the Scotland Office web page - a department which is irrelevant to tackling the financial crisis. ”Instead of website whitewashes, if Gordon Brown is serious about tackling the economic crisis, he should rule out Labour's planned £500 million per annum cuts to public spending in Scotland which would be so damaging in the teeth of recession. "For the UK Government to slash Scottish spending by £500 milllion a year is totally unacceptable - especially at a time when Scotland is in budget surplus, contributing far more to the UK exchequer than we get back in return." More information regarding this story. 1. On the website, whenever there are references to separate arrangements for Scotland and Wales, almost the links for Wales go to the Welsh Assembly Government's website (www.wales.gov.uk). But there is not a single link for Scotland that goes to www.scotland.gov.uk. All Scottish links are either direct to Scottish Enterprise etc or to Scottish sub-sections of UK sites. Why are the devolved administrations being treated so differently? Were civil servants involved in such a blatantly political decision? 2. A screen grab of the website as it appeared yesterday is attached. The links from the original stories went to the following: Tax freeze for capital residents (Edinburgh is an LD-SNP run council) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7885925.stm More flexible business support http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/02/13105400 3. Winston Smith, the protagonist of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, worked as a clerk in the Records Department of the Ministry Of Truth where he rewrote newspaper articles and documents to make them support the ever changing party line. 4. You can access the revised 'Real Help Now' website at: http://www.realhelpnow.gov.uk/ 5. The ‘Real Help Now’ website could highlight the following action taken by the Scottish Government to help in the face of recession: * Fully funded a freeze in the Council Tax * Introduced the Small Business Bonus Scheme * Ferry fares to be cut by up to half on all W Isles-to-mainland routes under pilot RET * Removed tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges * Tripled funding for community and household renewables * Scottish Futures Trust launched to release up to £150 million for infrastructure * Providing additional funding for phased 50% increase in free nursery provision, delivering full half-day for 3 and 4 year olds * All school pupils in primaries 1 to 3 are to be entitled to free school meals following successful pilot projects * Scrapped the £2289 graduate endowment, benefiting students who graduated last year, and students currently in the system * Phased reduction in class sizes as part of Concordat. * Reversed previous decision to close A&E Departments at Ayr and Monklands * Commitment to abolish prescription charges * £64 million cervical cancer immunisation programme began in September 08 * Opened the £21 million Aberdeen Dental School * Taken measures to deliver more visible police presence and an additional 1,000 police officers in our communities 16,526 police officers in Scotland at 30 September 2008, the highest figure ever recorded. This is an increase of 292 since March 2007.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF LABOUR’S WEBSITE WHITEWASH.
AIRBRUSHING OF SNP ACTION EXPOSES LABOUR PETTINESS.
The Labour party have been accused of “extraordinary pettiness” over their continued airbrushing of action taken by the Scottish Government to help the economy through the recession on a website launched by the UK Government. When the ‘Real Help Now’ website was launched by Gordon Brown last week (23 Feb) it listed SNP Government action, such as the Council Tax freeze and flexible business support, within hours however, the references were removed and replaced with links to out-of-date Scotland Office statements. Conversely - efforts taken by the Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations, and even the Mayor of London, are listed on the Cabinet Office developed website. SNP Shadow Scotland Office spokesperson, Angus MacNeil MP, said: “The continued exclusion of action taken by the Scottish Government on the economy exposes the extraordinary pettiness of the Labour party. “In the face of recession, as households and high streets struggle to make ends meet, we might have hoped Labour could overcome their politics of grudge and grievance against the SNP. “The airbrushing of this website leaves the prime minister looking more like Winston Smith than his spindoctors' preferred role model of Winston Churchill. ”The fact that the website highlights efforts by the Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations, and even the Mayor of London, adds to the curiosity of it all. “Instead of references to the Scottish Government, the website links to out-of-date press releases on the Scotland Office web page - a department which is irrelevant to tackling the financial crisis. ”Instead of website whitewashes, if Gordon Brown is serious about tackling the economic crisis, he should rule out Labour's planned £500 million per annum cuts to public spending in Scotland which would be so damaging in the teeth of recession. "For the UK Government to slash Scottish spending by £500 milllion a year is totally unacceptable - especially at a time when Scotland is in budget surplus, contributing far more to the UK exchequer than we get back in return." More information regarding this story. 1. On the website, whenever there are references to separate arrangements for Scotland and Wales, almost the links for Wales go to the Welsh Assembly Government's website (www.wales.gov.uk). But there is not a single link for Scotland that goes to www.scotland.gov.uk. All Scottish links are either direct to Scottish Enterprise etc or to Scottish sub-sections of UK sites. Why are the devolved administrations being treated so differently? Were civil servants involved in such a blatantly political decision? 2. A screen grab of the website as it appeared yesterday is attached. The links from the original stories went to the following: Tax freeze for capital residents (Edinburgh is an LD-SNP run council) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
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