 | 'Labour continued its policy of avoiding news conferences and instead put up a statement by Eric Joyce, the party's candidate, welcoming the passage in the Queen's Speech on tackling youth crime, although the measures refer only to England.' Murray Ritchie in the Herald,, 7 th December 2000. |  |
John Swinney, party leader, produced new figures based on official Treasury statistics, and argued that the high oil price had helped to move Scotland into comfortable surplus, making the country ripe for independence.
At a news conference in the Falkirk West by-election campaign, Mr Swinney said: "Scotland is a rich country. A vote for the SNP in this by-election will be a vote for full fiscal freedom and independence for Scotland, so that we can turn our rich country into a rich society, here in Falkirk West and throughout Scotland."
Scotland would generate a budget surplus this year of £2800m, he said, and £4900m next year, equivalent to £1511 for every man, woman and child in the country. "Another Labour MP would support the continued filching of our resources, depriving Scotland of £7700m over this year and next," Mr Swinney said. "But the SNP will stand up for keeping that money in Scotland so that the Scottish people can democratically decide how we invest our own abundant resources."
David Kerr, SNP candidate, said the surplus was equivalent to £106m this year and next in Falkirk West, enough to provide five new schools without the expense of the private finance initiative, 40 new teachers, 100 new homes with central heating, and 40 more police officers.
Hugh O'Donnell, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate, concentrated on the "unacceptable" level of local unemployment which at almost 8% made Falkirk among the worst 10 jobless areas in Scotland. He demanded better rail links to allow the Falkirk population faster access to work opportunities in Glasgow and Edinburgh and he attacked rail planners who had built a new station at Camelon and then restricted services which stopped at it. "That is absolutely nonsensical," he complained.
Eric Stevenson, the 38-year-old college lecturer standing for the Conservatives, attacked Labour for calling the by-election for four days before Christmas. "Labour might try and hide behind the rush to do the Christmas shopping, but we'll dog them all the way and call them to account on crime, tax, pensions and Europe."
Labour continued its policy of avoiding news conferences and instead put up a statement by Eric Joyce, the party's candidate, welcoming the passage in the Queen's Speech on tackling youth crime, although the measures refer only to England. This prompted Mr Kerr to denounce Mr Joyce's remarks as a gaffe.
Mr Joyce said too much police time was taken up by complaints of underage drinking, group disorder and vandalism by young people in Falkirk. One third of crimes reported locally involved under-16s who should be at home. "Everyone in Falkirk knows that young people out in the streets late at night are at risk. We expect that our police will protect them, and they do. Often the best protection is for the police to take young people home."
-Dec 7th
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