Jeremy Corbyn to promise repeal of Trade Union Act should Labour form government
FIRST MINISTER NICOLA STURGEON will warn of an“extreme” Tory threat to Scottish living standards in an address to the STUC conference in Aviemore today (24 April).
Sturgeon will accuse the Tories of taking an “extreme position” of wanting to “crush” any opposition at Westminister if they win the General Election on 8 June.
Sturgeon will say: “The more Tory MPs there are, the heavier the price Scotland will pay.
“They’re already cutting nearly £3 billion from the Scottish budget.
“[By having more Tory MP’s] that will mean more cuts, more attacks on low-income families and a hard Brexit.” Nicola Sturgeon
“They’re hitting family incomes hard by cutting and removing child tax credits.
“They want to remove Scotland from the European Single Market – which will cost thousands of jobs.
“They’ve done all this with a small majority.
“Now they want to crush any opposition.
“Only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives will send the SNP a clear message – no to another independence referendum.” Scottish Conservatives
“The bigger the Tory majority, the more they will think they can do anything to Scotland and get away with it.
“That will mean more cuts, more attacks on low-income families and a hard Brexit.”
In response, a Scottish Conservative party spokesperson said: “Voters have a clear choice at the upcoming election – between an SNP party solely focused on the break-up of the UK and a Scottish Conservative party that will stand up to the nationalists and protect the union.
“Polls published today make one thing clear – only the Scottish Conservative have the support to take on the SNP.
“A vast majority of hard-line Tories our social security system that so many depend upon will never have been in greater danger.” Nicola Surgeon
“Only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives will send the SNP a clear message – no to another independence referendum.”
Sturgeon will warn of a double hit to Scottish families under a “hard-line” Tory party – with tax rises and more austerity.
She will tell congress that with a “majority of hard-line Tories our social security system, that so many depend upon, will never have been in greater danger”.
She will add: “The truth is the Tories are starting to think they can do anything to Scotland and get away with it – and that means it has never been more important for people across Scotland to think clearly and ask themselves this question: how can we best protect Scotland from the hard-line Tories?”
“How can we best protect Scotland from the hard-line Tories?” Nicola Sturgeon
UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is expected to tell the congress, which is the largest policy focused yearly gathering of Scottish trade union movement, that his party will transform the lives of Scots should it form a government.
In Corbyn’s first visit to Scotland since UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced the snap General Election last Tuesday (18 April), he will tell the congress that the General Election will be about the people versus the powerful and wealthy in society.
“The choice facing the country is clear. It’s the people versus the powerful.” Jeremy Corbyn
Corbyn is expected to tell delegates in Aviemore: “While the timing of the election was unexpected, the choice is clear and the stakes are high.
“Let no-one be in any doubt – we are in this election to win it, and we will fight for every seat in every corner of these isles.
“The choice facing the country is clear. It’s the people versus the powerful. Labour will challenge the rigged system that is holding our country back.
“And just like trade unions, we will stand for the many, not the few.”
“We urge the Scottish Government to set up an inquiry into the actions of the Scottish police during the miners’ strike.” Jeremy Corbyn
Corbyn will go on to say that one of the first things that he will do once he enters 10 Downing Street is to repeal the “vicious Tory Trade Union Act”, an action that will give “working people the rights to collectively organise and make their lives better, safer and more content”.
The Trade Union Act, passed in 2016, applies uprecedented restrictions to the rights of workers to organise, including new vote thresholds for industrial action.
Crobyn will also call for inquries into anti-union activities.
He will say: “We will open inquiries into blacklisting and Orgreave. And we urge the Scottish Government to set up an inquiry into the actions of the Scottish police during the miners’ strike.”
“With Labour’s ongoing identity crisis and the whole party in complete disarray, only the SNP will stand up to the Tories at Westminster and protect Scotland’s interests.” SNP spokesperson
Corbyn will say that his government would give half a million Scots a pay rise to £10 per hour, protect a million pensioners in Scotland by guaranteeing a triple lock on annual increases to state pension and negotiate a Brexit deal to protect working people.
An SNP spokesperson said: “Jeremy Corbyn is living in a dreamworld if he thinks Scottish voters won’t hold the Labour party to account for completely surrendering to the hard-right and dangerous Tory party on the prospect of a hard Brexit.
“With Labour’s ongoing identity crisis and the whole party in complete disarray – only the SNP will stand up to the Tories at Westminster and protect Scotland’s interests.”
Picture courtesy of First Minister of Scotland
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