SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson condemns Scottish Secretary for “failing to lift a finger” to prevent the UK Government from shutting half of the jobcentres in Glasgow
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY (SNP) deputy leader Angus Robertson has slammed the Scottish Secretary for not stopping the closures of half of Glasgow’s jobcentres.
Robertson described David Mundell’s failure to speak out against the closures as a “disgraceful dereliction of duty”.
As revealed last month, a consultation on closing eight of the city’s 16 jobcentres came to a close at the end of the month. The elected representative of the SNP in Glasgow is encouraging members of the public to sign a petition against the plans.
Robertson said: “Given the potentially devastating effect that these closures will have on some very vulnerable people in Glasgow, his failure to speak out is frankly a disgraceful dereliction of duty.
“It is completely unacceptable that Glasgow, with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, is set to be the first part of the UK to have jobcentre closures imposed on it – and at a disproportionately high level.” Angus Robertson
“It is completely unacceptable that Glasgow, with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, is set to be the first part of the UK to have jobcentre closures imposed on it – and at a disproportionately high level.
“We will not accept being dragged back to the bad old days of Tory governments – with no mandate north of the border – treating Scotland as a guinea pig for their unpopular policies and doing anything they want.”
The SNP’s Westminster leader went on to question what the purpose of having a Scottish Secretary was if they did not speak up for Scotland, adding to mounting criticism of Mundell after he last week appeared to back the UK Government’s position on Brexit rather than Scotland’s, where 62 per cent of the population voted to Remain in the EU.
The Moray MP added: “But there is also a wider issue here. If Mr Mundell has – as is evident – done so little to fight Scotland’s corner on the issue of jobcentre closures, then what hope do we have that he has done anything behind the scenes to keep Scotland in the single market as part of the Brexit negotiations?
“We will not accept being dragged back to the bad old days of Tory governments – with no mandate north of the border – treating Scotland as a guinea pig for their unpopular policies and doing anything they want.” Angus Robertson
“The Scottish Secretary should be fighting for Scotland’s interests in Cabinet – not the other way around – and if Mr Mundell is unwilling to do that, then you have to wonder what the point is in there being a Scottish Secretary.”
Stewart McDonald, the Glasgow South MP, sent a cross-party letter to David Mundell asking him to back the campaign to stop the closures, which has gone unanswered. The signatories include all the Glasgow MPs and MSPs, with the exception of the two Tory MSPs.
A Scottish Conservatives spokesperson told CommonSpace that both Adam Tomkins MSP and Annie Wells MSP were asked to sign the letter in relation to the jobcentre closures, but they made it clear that “they could not agree to the wording” of the letter.
This is the X-party letter to @DavidMundellDCT. Support from @GlasgowSNP, @Glasgow_Labour & @glasgowgreens. @GlasgowTories refused to sign. pic.twitter.com/WOlm1JeJ40
— Stewart McDonald MP (@StewartMcDonald) January 18, 2017
The spokesperson added: “The Scottish Conservatives can neither condemn nor condone the DWP proposals for the future of jobcentre provision in Glasgow.
“However, there are a number of ongoing concerns about the process and substance of the proposals, which our Glasgow MSPs have raised with the DWP and the Secretary of State for Scotland.”
A Scottish Conservatives spokesperson told CommonSpace that both Adam Tomkins MSP and Annie Wells MSP were asked to sign the letter in relation to the jobcentre closures, but they made it clear that “they could not agree to the wording” of the letter.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The vast majority of claims to Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit are now made online, and people are using the internet or telephone to access support and information, with jobcentres increasingly used for booked appointments.
“Where Jobcentre Plus offices have been identified as being over three miles or 20 minutes away by public transport in the Glasgow area, we are consulting on the changes.
“That is because we are determined to get these changes right.”
Picture courtesy of BBC
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