LABOUR POLITICIANS HAVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ON BOILER SCRAPPAGE SCHEME

LABOUR POLITICIANS HAVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER ON BOILER SCRAPPAGE SCHEME

EMBARRASSMENT FOR MSPs WHO VOTED AGAINST POLICY THEY CAMPAIGNED FOR!

YOU CAN'T TRUST A WORD LABOUR SAY

A raft of Labour politicians - including the Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy - are being challenged by SNP MSP Bob Doris to explain why their MSPs voted against the boiler scrappage scheme in this week's Scottish budget when a litany of websites and news items show they were previously campaigning for the policy.

In this week's budget the entire Labour group voted to oppose £2 million funding to support a boiler scrappage scheme on top of the £60 million which has already been invested in the Energy Assistance Package to tackle fuel poverty. The scheme would not only have helped address fuel poverty but provided jobs for plumbers and installers.

Mr Doris - a member of the Scottish Parliament's Communities and Local Government Committee - has published a list of Labour politicians previous support for the scheme including a prominent page on their very own Scottish website and the support of Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy.

Commenting Mr Doris said:

"This is an incredible blunder for Labour and an embarrassment for their Scottish Secretary. Is it yet another example of the dysfunctional relationship between Iain Gray and Jim Murphy?

"Labour politicians across Scotland attempted to mislead the people and press alike by suggesting that the SNP was against this scheme.

"Instead they end up looking silly and petty by actually voting against it themselves when the SNP Government puts forward the funding.

"Those Labour MPs and MSPs who publicly campaigned for the scheme and scare mongered about it have questions to answer.

"If it was so important as they were saying in press releases, articles and even a petition, why did they not support it in the budget?

"If they had succeeded in voting against the budget this scheme would have been delayed or even lost as we would have had to adopt last year's budget.

"Labour have to explain why they voted against a measure they said they supported."