TRIDENT: NOT SAFE, NOT WANTED AND NOT NEEDED

TRIDENT: NOT SAFE, NOT WANTED AND NOT NEEDED

LET’S PROTECT JOBS NOT NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Bill Kidd MSP has today reiterated the need for the removal of Trident, the UK’s Nuclear Missile System, from the banks of the Clyde and for its proposed replacement to be scrapped immediately.

Kidd, who earlier this week addressed the United Nations on the issue, made the calls after a Sunday Newspaper revealed that the Faslane Nuclear Base on the Clyde had been “plagued by nuclear accidents, radioactive contamination and fires over the last two years”.

Glasgow MSP Bill Kidd said:

“These revelations are shocking and will be of huge concern to the public.

“The Scottish Parliament, civic Scotland and the people of Scotland have repeatedly made it clear that they don’t want these weapons of mass destruction, but these revelations expose the inherent dangers and the risks to the public having these obscene weapons based on the Clyde entails.

“It just further underlines the need to rid Scotland of these terrible indiscriminatory weapons as soon as possible. Scotland is facing cuts from Westminster that will threaten jobs and public services, instead let’s cut the things that we don’t want nor need like Trident and its planned replacement, and invest in the things that really matter to people, like education, health, and policing.

“Trident will cost the cost the public £100 Billion over its lifetime. Why don’t we spend that money on jobs, on our children’s education and on our NHS?

“Anyway that you look at it; on moral, economic or political grounds, renewal of these weapons of mass destruction is untenable.

“Our message to the Westminster is clear, Scotland doesn’t need nuclear weapons and doesn’t want them. We should be focusing on protecting jobs, not spending disgusting amounts of money during a difficult economic period on obsolete and destructive nuclear weapons.”

LIBDEMS 'SOLD SCOTLAND OUT' WITH TORY ALLIANCE

LIBDEMS 'SOLD SCOTLAND OUT' WITH TORY ALLIANCE

LABOUR INACTION AT WESTMINSTER HELPS BRING TORIES BACK TO POWER

Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson has today (Sunday) responded to comments from the former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy, in an article in today’s Observer.

In the piece, Kennedy outlines his concerns regarding the new Con-Dem coalition deal and says he would’ve preferred to “explore the possibilities of a so-called ‘progressive coalition’” – which would’ve included the SNP,Plaid Cymru and the Labour Party.

Commenting, Dave Thomspon said:

“This revelation comes as no real surprise, and there is clearly real anger amongst their membership – particularly in Scotland.

“On polling day, Scotland gave a resounding ‘No’ to the prospect of a Tory Government with 85% of the public rejecting David Cameron. As we’ve seen time and time again though, Scotland’s voice was deemed irrelevant and not heard by those in London.

“The SNP, along with Plaid Cymru, favoured the ‘progressive coalition’ that Charlie Kennedy speaks of. The Coalition would’ve included the SNP, Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Lib Dems – and would’ve kept the Tories out of power, and David Cameron out of Downing Street.

“By jumping into bed with Cameron’s Tories, Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander have sold Scotland out. But Labour must share some of the blame for allowing the Tories back in as they had no real intention of going into a progressive coalition and instead of protecting the country from the Tory cuts, they opted for the safety of opposition.

“Labour claimed that if you voted for them, they would stop the Tories. Well the people of Scotland did vote Labour, but they didn’t stop them. Blinded by their visceral hatred of the SNP, the progressive coalition talks were sabotaged by those representing Labour.

“It’s now clear that in Scotland Vote Lib Dem get Tories, vote Labour get Tories. The only way to stop the Tories is to vote for Independence, and then Scotland can take responsibility for its own actions and benefit from our vast natural resources.”

BUDGET MUST BRING FUEL PRICE ACTION

BUDGET MUST BRING FUEL PRICE ACTION

FUEL DEAL MISSING FROM COALITION AGREEMENT

The SNP today called on the new UK Government to ensure a fair fuel
regulator and cuts in fuel duty for rural areas are included in the
upcoming budget and raised concerns that the vital issue of fuel prices
was missing from the coalition agreement between the Tories and Lib Dems.

The call comes as prices reach new highs and as research by the AA shows
prices have not fallen, despite a fall in oil prices.

Despite repeatedly failing to back SNP proposals at Westminster for a fair
fuel regulator and duty cuts both the Lib Dems and Tories claimed to
support such measures during the election.

SNP Transport spokesman Angus MacNeil MP said:

“The new coalition must live up to the word of both parties and take
immediate action to bring down fuel prices.

“A fair fuel regulator is the only way to ensure that Scotland’s essential
industries and our hard pressed families are not continually hit by rising
prices.

"I am deeply concerned that fair fuel prices are not a feature of the
coalition agreement - despite claims by both parties to support this
measure.

“Prices in Scotland are well above the £1.21 highlighted by the AA. In
Stornoway today unleaded fuel is £1.28 and diesel is over £1.30, in
Inverness – home to the Scottish Secretary it’s £1.25. This has a
crippling effect on family budgets and on all our industries.

"Labour repeatedly used Scotland's motorists as a cash cow. It is time
drivers were given a break. Action on fuel prices is a key test of the
new Government's intentions.”

SNP Highlands and Islands MSP Dave Thompson who has lodged a Parliamentary
motion challenging the new Scottish Secretary to deliver on his calls for
lower rural fuel prices said:

“For years Danny Alexander has promised anything to anyone and delivered
nothing. This is the real test for the Lib Dems and their deal with the
Tories.

“Scotland’s remote and rural communities need instant action to bring down
fuel costs.

“This new Government says it will deliver a budget in 50 days – that
budget must include a fuel duty cut for our remote communities and a fair
fuel deal for all of Scotland’s motorists.”

SCOTLAND DESERVES RESPECT FROM UNIONIST PARTIES

SCOTLAND DESERVES RESPECT FROM UNIONIST PARTIES

SHOW SCOTLAND RESPECT AND LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson has today called on the opposition parties in Holyrood to afford Scotland the same right as Wales, and support a referendum on the nation's constitutional future.

All three UK parties now support a referendum in Wales on further powers being given to the Welsh assembly, however the same parties stand in full opposition in Scotland and have vowed to block the Scottish Government’s proposed legislation to let the people of Scotland vote on the issue.

Kenneth Gibson said:

"It is now clear that all three London-based parties in the Scottish Parliament must back the referendum bill to save themselves from being guilty of utter hypocrisy. Scotland deserves a voice just as much as Wales and opinion polls show that there is a clear majority who want to have their say on Scotland's future in a referendum.

"All three parties should show the same level of trust and respect to the people of Scotland as they have to Wales.

“The election last week highlighted the democratic deficit that Scotland suffers from. Despite achieving less than 20% of the vote in Scotland and returning one MP, we now have a Conservatives-led government making decisions that will have huge consequences for the country.

“The other parties in Holyrood are running scared of Scottish opinion but they can’t do so for much longer. It’s time to release Scotland’s potential - it’s time to let the people decide.”