Monday 15 April 2013

ASK JOHANN

Here is an opportunity to put your questions to Johann Lamont!

There is a endless number of questions needing to be answered. Everyone knows that manifestos are a mixture of intentions and aspirations  but Labour's all seem to be aspirations, and the intentions seem to be the actual opposite. For example:


ON TUITION FEES
What the Labour 2011 Election Manifesto upon which Johann Lamont was elected said:
No up-front or back-end tuition fees for Scottish students” [Page 26]
“With Scottish Labour, there will be no upfront or back-end tuition fees for Scottish university students. We will ensure Scottish students are not disadvantaged against fee-paying students from other regions and countries when applying for courses and that the number of graduates is maintained.”[Page 31-32]
What Johann Lamont said in her Cuts Commission speech:
What is progressive about judges and lawyers earning more than 100,000 a year, not paying tuition fees for their child to follow in their footsteps at university…?”
“I know that there are families, working hard, on above average incomes who feel they pay enough and are attracted by policies like … free tuition fees...”
What price free tuition fees when your neighbour can’t get a place at college, or when university standards are now lower than when they went to uni?”
ON CONCESSIONARY TRAVEL
What the Labour 2011 Election Manifesto upon which Johann Lamont was elected said:
“We will sustain the concessionary travel scheme and better link it to community transport initiatives. We are also committed to ensuring the needs of older carers of adult children with disabilities are properly identified and addressed.”[Page 64]
“We will appoint a Disabilities Champion to drive this agenda forward. We will improve mobility and access for people with disabilities, including extending concessionary travel to those on the lower rate of the Disability Living Allowance...” [Page 67]
What Labour’s 2010 Election Manifesto – upon which they won the election in Scotland - said:
“We will protect the help currently provided to pensioners, including … concessionary public transport fares...”[Page 44-45]
What Johann Lamont said in her Cuts Commission speech:
“For example, spending on concessionary fares increased by 19% over the last four years, while spending on enterprise and tourism has fallen dramatically by 33%.”
ON COUNCIL TAX FREEZE
What the Labour 2011 Election Manifesto upon which Johann Lamont was elected said:
Freeze council tax for the next two years[Page 60]
“Scottish Labour will freeze the council tax for the next two years, ensuring that the freeze is sustainably funded. But whilst we deliver this support, we know that local authorities cannot afford for a single penny to be wasted.” [Page 69]
What it also said on Council Tax breaks:
"We will also take steps to ensure that all students – including those undertaking articulation courses – are exempt from paying council tax for the full period of their studies." [Page 32]
“We will consider the role council tax incentives could have in achieving this and will introduce a series of gradually phased in bans on recyclable and biodegradable material going to landfill.” [Page 77]
What Glasgow Labour’s 2012 Election Manifesto– upon which Johann Lamont campaigned on and in which she is pictured -said:
100 things we will do - Number 1 - “Labour was the first council in Scotland to introduce a council tax freeze, and will continue to freeze council tax for the next 5 years.” [Pg 6]
What Johann Lamont said in her Cuts Commission speech:
“I know that there are families, working hard, on above average incomes who feel they pay enough and are attracted by policies like … the council tax freeze.”
A council tax freeze, for example, costs. It’s cheap to say, but expensive to fund. And if you don't fund it properly, and John Swinney isn't funding this one, I'll tell you what it costs. In North Lanarkshire alone, another 1400 jobs at risk.”
Note: as their policy was a two year freeze the freeze would still apply to North Lanarkshire council.
“Well, I have to ask what is progressive about a banker on more than 100,000 a year benefitting more than a customer on average incomes from the council tax freeze?”
“We need to be honest that the funding of local government finance is in need of reform; we need to move beyond the“sticking-plaster” policy of a council tax freeze...”
What price the council tax freeze, when your parents care is cut, and your child’s teachers cannot give them the materials they need because there is a ban on something as simple as photocopying.”
ON PRESCRIPTION CHARGES
What the Labour 2011 Election Manifesto upon which Johann Lamont was elected said:
“With Scottish Labour, there will be no reintroduction of charges for prescriptions in Scotland.” [Page 42]
What Labour’s 2010 Election Manifesto – upon which they won the election in Scotland - said:
We will protect the help currently provided to pensionersincluding … free eye tests and prescriptions.”[Page 44-45]
What Johann Lamont said in her Cuts Commission speech:
What is progressive about a chief executive on more than 100,000 a year not paying for his prescriptions, while a pensioner needing care has their care help cut?”
“I know that there are families, working hard, on above average incomes who feel they pay enough and are attracted by policies like free prescriptions…”
What price your free prescription when an elderly relative spends five hours on a trolley in A&E, or the life-saving drug they need isn't available at all?”
ON FREE PERSONAL CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
What the Labour 2011 Election Manifesto upon which Johann Lamont was elected said:
“Whilst retaining our commitment to free personal care, Scottish Labour will deliver a new National Care Service to provide the right care in the right setting.” [Page 40]
What Labour’s 2010 Election Manifesto – upon which they won the election in Scotland - said:
Maintaining free personal care.” [Page 42/73]
In Scotland we led the wayextending the frontiers of the welfare state with the introduction of free personal careOur ambition to do the right thing by older people was right.”[Page 45]
What Johann Lamont said in her Cuts Commission speech:
Lord Sutherland, the architect of free personal care, tells us: “Unless there is a marked increase in the share of taxation in the Scottish economy, quite significant cuts will have to be found in other programmes to continue to fund the present structure of care.”
This is the stark choice that Scotland has to face up to: if we wish to continue some policies as they are then they come with a cost which has to be paid for either through increased taxation, direct charges or cuts elsewhere. If we do not confront these hard decisions soon, then the choice will be taken from us when we will be left with little options.”
ON  POLICE OFFICERS
What the Labour 2011 Election Manifesto upon which Johann Lamont was elected said:
We will protect frontline police jobs and police numbers, with a community policing team in your area” [Page 48]
What Labour’s 2010 Election Manifesto – upon which they won the election in Scotland - said:
Provide the funding to maintain police numbers...”[Page 73]
We are committed to giving the police the resources to maintain the numbers they have on the streets, with funding assured for the next three years.” [Page 35]
What Glasgow Labour’s 2012 Election Manifesto– upon which Johann Lamont campaigned on and in which she is pictured -said:
Labour will continue to fund 100 additional police officers working in neighbourhoods across the city.” [Page 7]
What Johann Lamont said in her Cuts Commission speech:
“How do we move beyond the “numbers game” on targets. We need to be honest that the target of 1,000 additional “bobbies on the beat” is not the best use of police resources when a number of them are filling back office jobs which have been cut.”

12 comments:

  1. Stoater of a picture there!! We could ask her if it makes any difference that oil is "running out" given the amount of renewable energy generated by Keir Hardie, Manny Shinwell and John Maxton all turning in their graves at what Labour has become,

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  2. Do we know if she has formulated her LATEST commitment FOR or AGAINST Trident yet?

    Has she formulated ANY plans about ANYTHING recently?

    Does she have ANY answer to ANY question other than:
    “I know that there are families, working hard, on above average incomes who feel they pay enough and are attracted by policies like......"

    Is she EVER likely to make ANY appearance in front of cameras to answer questions?

    Why does she NOT have a view about ANYTHING?

    Does she AGREE with Bedroom Tax, if NOT why not?

    Does she AGREE with Work Fare, if NOT why not?

    Does she AGREE that Better Together should KEEP the money from Ian Taylor following continuing revelations about him and his company Vitol?


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  3. She is a cow.

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  4. LOL Good one PP.

    The oil isn't of course actually running out. Peak Oil is well past, but new stuff is being found all the time. And of course we are a world leader in renewables. I understand that Glasgow University scientists have just found a new way of using hydrogen as a fuel...

    It's all happening here.

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    Replies
    1. well you'll notice "running out" was and is in inverted commas!

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    2. Oops, sorry PP, so it is.

      If it were running out the Tories would probably be happy enough to get rid of us, even in it would leave a bit of a stain on the character of Cameron. Still as they seem to dislike the man almost as much as we do, I don't think that would bother them too much.

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  5. Actually, Arbroath, I think that it will be interesting to see her answer questions like that.

    Of course, the questions will have been chosen in advance and Miliband's advisors will have told her what to say, and because it's the BBC they won't allow her to look any less competent than they absolutely have to... but I think she'll still make a mess of it, and lose her place and read out the wrong answer or something. Should be a good laugh!

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    Replies
    1. Milliband's advisor’s may have "decided" what questions she will answer and what her answers will be but there is one MAJOR problem! They have to get the questions and answers up to her and as we all know the Labour party's pigeon post has had more than a few problems getting their messages through to Lamont. :-)

      I hear that the problems being encountered are suspected to be linked to a rise in the sale of pigeon pie following a certain IDS's plans to kill off the poor!

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    2. LOL: ... and Yuk, at the same time!!!

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  6. You can say that Anon. I couldn't possibly comment.

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  7. This just in from Johann Lamont's trident bunker, Lamont says "Look, there's a squirrel!" was the answer.

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  8. Ah.... she is still with us then?

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