SNP BIGGEST GROUP IN NEW HIGHLAND COUNCIL ADMINISTRATION
May 9, 2012 | 
Author The SNP have come to an agreement with the Lib Dems and Labour that will see them serve together on the administration for Highland Council.
The SNP will be the biggest group on the council with 22 councillors, the will Lib Dems have 15 and Labour have eight.
Drew Hendry, Administration Leader and SNP Group Leader, said: “The SNP looks forward to working in partnership with the Lib Dem and Labour councillors in the best interests of all the people in the Highland Council area.
“With this strong coalition I have no doubts the three groups can work well together – setting aside political differences – to deliver for The Highlands.
“Our groups’ policies along with the skill-sets of the elected members shall make for a winning blend and I am confident we will deliver.”
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SNP Councils ‘Best-Placed’ to Build for Recovery’
On the eve of the Local Government elections, the SNP’s Derek Mackay has said that The SNP is best-placed to build for economic recovery in the years ahead.
Mr Mackay pointed to a number of key council manifesto pledges – designed to help small business, to regenerate local communities, and to protect employment, which SNP councils will work in partnership with the Scottish Government to deliver.
With Scotland benefitting from lower unemployment and higher employment than the rest of the UK, Mr Mackay says it is vital that every single council pulls out all the stops in the next few years to maintain employment and secure long-term economic growth.
Mr Mackay, the SNP Campaign Director said: “I spent twelve years as a Councillor – including four as a council leader – and I know what a vital role they play in developing the local economy.
“Now, more than ever, we need to do all we can to help the economy – that’s why SNP councillors will be focussed on economic recovery..
“Our three-pronged approach will ensure that councils work together to do all they can to protect and create jobs, and that we do all we can to support business and generate new investment.
“Every SNP council will develop a local economic recovery plan as their first priority. SNP councils will work with the Scottish Government to find new and innovative investment such as the untapped potential of pension funds to get local economies moving and we will continue our support for the small business bonus.
“We need to do everything we can to protect and create employment. As well as extending the Living Wage and the no compulsory redundancy policy to council workers – we will ensure that every 16 to 19-year old not already in work, training or education is offered a training opportunity, helping tackle youth unemployment.
“Jobs and fairness are the priorities of the people of Scotland, and that’s why they are our priorities.
“SNP councils will work night and day to build for recovery.”
The SNP’s deputy group leader on Highland Council, Dave Fallows, said: “In the Highlands jobs and fairness have really come to the fore in our manifesto pledges. We are determined to work with the private and public sectors to create jobs, and we would introduce area committees that allow for fairer decision-making at community level. We were also the first political party in the region to commit to a ‘living wage’ for Highland Council employees. We will be working hard to earn the votes of the public both before and after the election.”
Note:
Ten key pledges from the SNP manifesto to build for economic recovery:
1) Every SNP council will develop a local economic recovery plan as a matter of priority, to ensure that public and private sector are working together better.
2) Every SNP council will continue to deliver the Small Business Bonus Scheme, which has now paid out over £400m in rates relief to small businesses, who can each save as much as £4260. Under the SNP, Scotland has the most generous rates relief package of anywhere in the UK. Since the SBBS was introduced, small businesses have delivered 40,000 new jobs.
3) Every SNP council will protect jobs by ensuring a Living Wage is delivered to all council workers by April 2013, and we will also extend the no compulsory redundancy policy to all council workers.
4) Every SNP council will help tackle youth unemployment by working with the Scottish Government to ensure that every 16 to 19-year-old not currently in work, training or education is offered a learning or training place.
5) Every SNP council will work with the Scottish Government to investigate ways that the billions currently held by pension funds and invested beyond Scotland can be rechanneled towards infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life for Scotland’s people. This is in addition to innovative sources of finance already being developed, such as Tax Incremental Financing.
6) Working with the Scottish Government, we will deliver 5000 new council houses across the lifetime of this parliament, and will continue to make resourcing housebuilding and refurbishment a priority in setting their budgets – helping employment and improving quality of life.
7) SNP councils will directly involve social enterprises in drafting a full social enterprise strategy for each area.
8. SNP councils will help support the private sector by being transparent in their contract awards, and fair and efficient in settling their bills.
9) SNP administrations will work with private and public sector partners and appropriate voluntary groups to maximise the tourism potential of their areas.
10) SNP councils will work in partnership with the Scottish Government to access the Next Generation Digital Fund to ensure optimal connectivity for businesses and households throughout Scotland.
SNP Get Expert Backing for Call Centre Plans
A leading industry expert has welcomed a pledge from the Highland SNP to investigate the opportunites for a ‘distributed’ call centre network in the region. It could unlock the potential to attract hundreds of jobs to the Highlands which are currently being outsourced to countries such as India and South Africa.
The SNP want to explore whether a network of small satellite contact centres could be established around the Highlands, providing much-needed, all-year-round, quality jobs in rural and remote areas.
One large company, or a number of companies, could establish smaller centres as off-shoots of larger bases. These could possibly be set up in existing buildings already utilised by public sector authorities. Village halls, other community buildings, and even hotel rooms, could be rented by small groups to provide a base for these operations.
Joe Costello, who was the Managing Director of contact centre industry leaders, The essentiagroup (correct), and who built the company up to a turnover of £15million before selling at a notable profit, says the SNP plans could be the right idea at the right time.
Mr Costello said: “A number of contact centre operations are becoming less viable in countries such as India. Sometimes they don’t work very well for UK markets, and in any case, they are becoming less price-competitive as their own economies grow. All of this means that jobs in the industry are being brought back Scotland and the rest of the UK.
“Satellite centres in the Highlands could provide small but significant numbers of jobs in remote areas. These could be year-round, rather than seasonal, and by bringing a number of people together in one rural location it could overcome difficulties of isolation experienced by homeworkers and give more of a feel of a ‘real’ job with greater interaction. This could also provide additional income for local people, such as crofters, who may have more than one job. It is an excellent idea from the SNP to explore, as it would fall into line with industry policies to bring contact centre jobs back from abroad and to devolve more jobs away from towns, cities and into rural areas.”
The SNP’s group leader on Highland Council, Drew Hendry, said: “We believe the Highlands lead the contact centre industry in excellence. However, we have seen recently that we can’t rest on our laurels and that we must try to strengthen the industry in the region. With the potential for more jobs arising from having call centre jobs return from abroad, we are determined to investigate ways of bringing more of them to the region.
“We also want to discover if there is any role for public sector facilities in establishing a distributed network, especially if it brings employment. An SNP-led Highland Council administration will bring together the industry and other partners to determine how the concept could be made reality.”
Thousands in Highland to be Saved from Council Tax Benefit Cuts
The UK Government is to abolish council tax benefit and transfer funding to Scotland, at the same time slashing the budget by 10% and creating a £40million hole. Figures show that 19,640 people in Highland stand to be affected, as well as over half a million people across Scotland.
The SNP has highlighted these cuts, saying that it will have an extra negative economic impact on vulnerable members of the community.
Now the Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed to cover the 40 million pounds cost of the cuts in 2013-14 – with the Scottish Government providing 23 million pounds and COSLA providing 17 million pounds.
Local Government Minister Derek Mackay said: “558,000 people in Scotland on the lowest incomes currently receive council tax benefit, including the unemployed, pensioners, those who cannot work because of disability, carers and people who receive tax credits. We will not allow them to be victims of UK cuts – we will work to protect them.
“Working closely together, the Scottish Government and councils will now cover the 40 million pounds cost of the council tax benefit cut in 2013-14 to protect vulnerable individuals, a unique approach across Great Britain.
“In the coming months we will establish a national schedule of reductions to council tax, so that anyone currently receiving council tax benefit will not have to pay more council tax in the next financial year.”
The SNP’s group leader on Highland Council, Drew Hendry, said: “The LibDems in Highland literally don’t have a leader at present and, in the real sense of the word, I doubt they ever will. They continue to stand aside and accept cut after cut from the UK coalition when it is clearly to the severe detriment of Highland people.
“So we very much welcome this move by the Scottish Government, with COSLA, to protect those who depend on Council Tax Support. This is great news for the people of the Highlands. It is an indisputable fact that coalition-inflicted welfare cuts for people on disabilities, cuts to tax credits, changes to pension tax arrangements, and now council tax benefit cuts if they had their way, all put enormous pressure on vulnerable people in Highland, especially low income families and pensioners.”
The SNP is the only Highland party to have pledged to maintain the freeze in the council tax right up to 2016.
All CTB recipients
SCOTLAND 558,090
Aberdeen City 16,080
Aberdeenshire 12,820
Angus 10,060
Argyll and Bute 8,210
Clackmannanshire 5,770
Dumfries and Galloway 14,760
Dundee City 20,520
East Ayrshire 15,800
East Dunbartonshire 6,270
East Lothian 8,210
East Renfrewshire 5,230
Edinburgh, City of 42,280
Eilean Siar 2,970
Falkirk 15,190
Fife 36,360
Glasgow City 101,610
Highland 19,640
Inverclyde 11,270
Midlothian 7,610
Moray 6,670
North Ayrshire 18,740
North Lanarkshire 42,630
Orkney Islands 1,410
Perth and Kinross 10,360
Renfrewshire 20,990
Scottish Borders 10,030
Shetland Islands 1,230
South Ayrshire 12,830
South Lanarkshire 34,880
Stirling 6,830
West Dunbartonshire 14,190
West Lothian 16,680
Highland Senior Citizen Network Manifesto Supported by all 33 SNP Local Election Candidates
All 33 SNP candidates have agreed to support the 12 point manifesto of the Highland Senior Citizen Network (HSCN) for the forthcoming Highland Council Elections. The SNP are the only mainstream political party to have done so.
The senior citizen manifesto includes investigating ways to have a representative for the elderly on the Council, and backing for the retention of the over 60 bus pass.
Molly Doyle, speaking for HSCN, said: “We welcome the SNP’s support for our manifesto which lists 12 key aims. It is important that candidates, all parties and voters appreciate the issues at stake for the elderly. We’re confident the SNP understand our manifesto and what we want to achieve.”
SNP Group Deputy Leader, Cllr Dave Fallows said: “All of our candidates support the very worthwhile aims of HSCN and its manifesto. We expect to be working with them to realise the best outcomes on the incredibly important issues affecting the elderly. We are very happy to be collaborating with HSCN and will be working hard to deliver a fair deal for senior citizens.”
HSCN 12 Point Manifesto
1. We support the immediate redevelopment of the former Burnside Care Home site in Inverness for housing for the elderly.
2. We support the retention of all Local Community Hospitals, though the matter is ultimately one for NHS Highland
3. We support the retention of all Local Authority Care Homes
4. We will investigate ways of providing for a representative of the elderly on the Council, beginning, pro tem, with the appointment of a nominated elected member to formally consult with HSCN and others and report to council committees as relevant.
5. We will seek to enhance the provision of social care opportunities for the elderly to alleviate isolation and loneliness
6. We support retention of the current bus pass for those over 60, but recognise that it is not within our gift as a council, and we will implement an urgent review of current timetables, provision of, and support for, community transport schemes and interlocking between different transport modes
7. We will look to immediately implement Self Directed Support for the elderly, building on the experience gained in SDS for younger adults and seeking to understand the impacts on services for others
8. We will encourage the active involvement of residents and relatives in quality assurance assessments of all care homes
9. We will investigate ways of providing an independent review structure for community care and ensure the active involvement of recipients and their relatives in decisions on provision of all care at home services
10. We support the call by the Highland Senior Citizen’s Network for an urgent national cross party review of the long term funding of the elderly in residential care homes and nursing homes.
11. We support the principle that all decisions of the Council should be assessed against the effect they are likely to have on the elderly in the immediate and distant future
12. We support, subject to the requirements of legislation, audit commission requirement or other influences outside the council’s control, that no service charges to the elderly should be increased by more than inflation
Minister’s Refusal To Act Costs People Of The Highlands £15million Per Year In Housing Debt Interest
The people of the Highlands are to continue paying up to £15million annually in housing debt interest payments alone, which is the equivalent of nearly £70 per head for every man, woman and child in the region. This is despite the fact that the UK Government minister with responsibility for the debt is Highland MP Danny Alexander, who campaigned widely in opposition on cancelling the full housing debt of £146million and whose own figures show that this has cost Highland an extra £30m in lost housing under his watch alone.
Alexander has previously described the debt as “unfair” and a “millstone around Highland’s neck”. Now in his position as Chief Secretary to the Treasury he has refused to respond to cross party calls from Highland Council for action on the debt.
The SNP Highland Council Group has responded to comments made by the LibDem MP on a report by the Bank of Scotland showing that Inverness has the highest average housing prices in Scotland.
SNP Group Leader, Cllr Drew Hendry said: “Danny Alexander has been quoted as saying the key is to boost the supply of affordable property and he is even attempting to take the credit for a Scottish Government scheme to allow Council House building in Highland.
“He shows no respect for the people of the Highlands, trotting out these lines whilst having the power in his own grasp to virtually eliminate the problem of affordable housing supply overnight. He can do this by simply acting on his promise to deal with the £146m housing debt and free Highland Council to build over a thousand new, affordable homes.
“The question people should be asking Mr Alexander is why something that was in his own words “unfair”, before he took office, is now acceptable? We will be fighting to have this debt dealt with and call on the LibDems to stop making empty promises only to change their position when they have the chance to deliver.”
Note
The figure of nearly £70 per head comes from the division of the £15million of housing debt interest by the Highland population figure of 221,630 (£67.68)
Debt figures quoted from Danny Alexander’s own website:
http://www.dannyalexander.org.uk/news_detail.asp?newsID=12
Source for population figure (2010) Highland Council website:
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/highlandfactsandfigures/highlandprofile.htm
Leaked Highland Labour Manifesto Reveals Criticism of Council Tax Freeze They Support
A leaked copy of the Highland Labour manifesto for the upcoming local council elections reveals criticism for the widely praised ‘Council Tax Freeze’, implemented by the Scottish Government, even though their party at national level has pledged to support it.
The Highland Labour manifesto bemoans the ‘freeze’, calling it a barrier to raising taxes on Highland voters. This is likely to cause disagreement with their own Scottish Labour Party who last year pledged to retain the Council Tax Freeze, saying now was not the time to increase the local tax burden and that frontline services would not suffer.
The manifesto also criticises their Council coalition partners the LibDems, saying they have caused problems for the Highlands through draconian cuts imposed at national government level.
The SNP’s deputy group leader on the Council, Dave Fallows, said: “Highland Labour want to relive the past with this manifesto. They prefer to talk about the outcome of the last election and to criticise the Council Tax Freeze which is already bringing badly needed relief to many hard working Highland families, even though their own party has pledged to retain it. Labour might try but they cannot deflect the blame for their own failures in Highland, such as the threat to sack 344 classroom assistants and the torturous u-turn when the public rumbled them thanks to the SNP campaign to support our schools.
“People in the Highlands will see that Labour have a “red neck” over this manifesto. Their confusion in attacking a Council Tax Freeze that, only last year, they pledged to maintain is embarrassing and shows that they can’t be trusted when it comes to helping our people through challenging times. They have dragged their feet over publishing this manifesto and it is now plain to see why. They clearly prefer to look back than look forward. We’re here to tell voters that in Highland, Labour are after their money.”
Labour manifesto:
The introduction to the Labour Manifesto by Highland Labour leader Jimmy Gray states: “What has added significantly to the problems of those trying to provide services is the speed and severity of the cuts imposed by the coalition Lib Dem/Conservative government based in Westminster.
These draconian cuts combined with the restrictions imposed by the SNP Scottish government at
Holyrood effectively “freezing” Council Tax and inhibiting all local authorities from raising additional
revenues has left local authorities with no option but to drastically cut budgets.”
The Labour manifesto states that “Highland Labour Councillors will stand up for: Jobs, skills and opportunities for young people” despite having voted to cut the jobs of 344 classroom assistants in 2011 before public outrage led to a protracted and torturous u-turn.
A pledge to “Bring Democracy home” and an assertion that “We need local decision making and local
accountability” carries no ideas about how to achieve this nor any comitment to action.
SNP To Deliver Biggest Highland Roads Shake-up In Years
The SNP has pledged to implement the biggest Highland roads shake-up in years as part of its local election plans. Council roads officials will be instructed to meet routinely with community councils and new area committees, which the SNP has also promised, in order to hear first-hand from local people and prepare agreed community roads repair plans.
The information gathered will change the way road repair decisions are made. The shake-up will also see a much bigger emphasis on preventative roadworks, greater information for the public on how road repairs are decided, and a better use of technology to log and monitor community feedback on their roads.
There are 6,740km of road network in the Highlands and its good condition is vital to communities, businesses and tourism. The SNP plans follow years of LibDem-led Council letdown for Highland voters and an effective ‘mea culpa’ from LibDem Councillor David Henderson who said: “You know this is the stage in the life of a Council where you sort of take stock in what you’ve achieved individually and collectively. I look at this road situation and I can only see failure, personal failure and Group failure. We started off with a bad situation and we’ve let it get worse.”
The SNP’s group leader on the Council, Drew Hendry, said: “As the party with candidates in every ward, on the doorsteps in every community, we know that the state of our roads are a major issue right across the Highlands. We don’t have to say anything about how poorly the LibDem –led administration has performed on this issue, their Councillor, David Henderson, has already done that.
“We will change the way decisions are made by making local views heard through new, local area committees that will provide a far better approach to dealing with people’s concerns in their communities. The Council’s road officials will be instructed to plan for a fair and transparent process that ends the waste of temporary fixes, often lasting just a few weeks and puts the focus on getting the job done right – where it is most needed. An SNP-led Council will instruct the Roads Department to start work right away to restore public confidence and reverse the self proclaimed failure of the Lib-Dems on roads.”
SNP Commitment Outshines LibDem Seat Loss
The LibDems have effectively suffered their first lost seat in the upcoming Highland Council elections (3rd May) by confirming they will only have 20 candidates, having actually had 21 members voted in at the last election. This is in stark contrast to the SNP who will be fielding a record 33 candidates in a reflection of growing support across the Highlands.
The SNP has also already launched its manifesto based on jobs, infrastructure and sound management, which included a commitment to decentralise the Council’s business.
The SNP’s group leader on the Council, Drew Hendry, said: “We are extremely pleased to have so many candidates willing to work hard for Highland communities. We will be doing our best to earn votes and demonstrate that we have a number of solutions for the challenges facing the Council and the people.
“It is no surprise that the LibDems have effectively lost the first seat of the election, since they lost the confidence of many angry Highland voters long ago. However, it is a surprise to see they appear to have lost the backing of their own supporters as well. Failure to deliver in local and national coalitions is clearly coming back to haunt them.”
SNP Highland Announces Manifesto: Jobs, Infrastructure and Sound Management
Jobs, infrastructure and sound management are the leading commitments at the heart of the 2012 local election manifesto announced by the SNP in the Highlands.
The SNP will focus on working to create more jobs; give priority to transport, broadband and mobile telephony infrastructure; and ensure sound management of the Highland Council’s business whilst giving communities more opportunity to shape Council decisions.
Having already announced a plan for more local decision-making by creating new local area committees across the Highlands whilst combining overly expensive central committees and making them work harder, other key manifesto announcements include:
• Maintenance of the Scottish Government freeze on Council Tax
• Improvements that will enable local businesses to tender more easily for Council business
• A business agenda that will see the SNP work with companies from inside and outside the region to create more quality jobs in the Highlands
• A strong emphasis on preventative works for road maintenance with priority given to improving the transport infrastructure of the region
• A commitment to work with the Scottish Government, HIE and telecoms providers to ensure that the Highlands reap the benefits of modern broadband and mobile telephony facilities
• And dedication to ensuring that the £670million budget of the Highland Council is soundly managed and used as a driver for the region’s economy
The manifesto also details how it will bring positive impact to bear on Highland life by ensuring a fuller voice for community councils so that local people influence local decisions; attention to care provision; and a clear focus on education, training, young people, housing, and emergency services.
SNP Group Leader, Councillor Drew Hendry (Aird and Loch Ness) said: “We are asking the people of the Highlands to vote SNP in the upcoming local election, and we promise to earn their votes by focusing on the things that matter to them – such as jobs, roads, infrastructure, and sound management of the Council’s business, services and budget.
“We must deliver on better conditions for business so that jobs can be created. We want to hear more from community councils and have their input into making decisions. And ultimately, we want to provide a Council that works for all the people in the region. We will be relentless in working for the people’s votes and we’re determined to focus on presenting a positive agenda.”
Download the Manifesto: webSNPHighlandCouncilManifesto2012