SNP INVEST IN RECOVERY AS LABOUR’S THATCHERITE CUTS RISK JOBS AND HOMES

SNP INVEST IN RECOVERY AS LABOUR’S THATCHERITE CUTS RISK JOBS AND HOMES

MORE NATS WILL MEAN LESS CUTS

The SNP put investment in Scotland’s jobs and communities at the forefront
of the campaign today as Nicola Sturgeon joined Kilmarnock candidate
George Leslie to highlight the SNP’s commitment to new council housing in
the face of Labour’s cuts to Scotland’s budget.

The SNP is funding 500 times more council houses than Labour did in their
last four years in power, with more under construction at one development
in Kilmarnock than Labour built in total. Overall the SNP is investing a
record £1.6 billion in new affordable homes across the
country.

However, Labour's failure to accelerate £350 million of capital means that
the opportunity to protect 4,000 jobs across Scotland and fund even more
house- building across the country has been lost.

On the first of a series of visits highlighting the threat of Labour and
Tory cuts to Scotland’s recovery from the recession, and the failure of
Labour to accelerate capital for investment in housing, SNP Depute Leader
and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“The SNP has put record amounts of investment into affordable housing
across Scotland yet Labour continue to let Scotland down.

“Alistair Darling’s Budget not only failed to provide the £350 million
cash injection that would have protected 4,000 Scots jobs – he has gone
even further and admitted that Labour’s cuts will be ‘deeper and tougher’
than even those of Margaret Thatcher.

“The SNP wants to see investment in recovery – not Labour cuts. More SNP
MPs at Westminster, like George Leslie here in Kilmarnock, will mean less
cuts for Scotland.”

Launching his campaign in Kilmarnock, SNP candidate George Leslie said:

“Scotland needs local and national champions and I will be working hard
over the next few weeks to win the support of voters in Kilmarnock to be
their local champion in Westminster as Willie Coffey champions their
interests in Holyrood.

“The SNP is investing in jobs and recovery in Kilmarnock, just as the SNP
stood shoulder to shoulder with residents of this town and workers at
Diageo.

“Labour’s threat to put in place cuts that are deeper and tougher than
Thatcher’s will hit hard in Kilmarnock without a real champion fighting
for investment and jobs in Scotland.”