In Scotland no one should have to choose between heating and eating

A new report has underlined the SNP’s failure to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland. The report of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group today outlines a number of recommendations to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland.

The last Labour-led Scottish Government set a target to abolish fuel poverty by November 2016, but today’s report admits that the situation is ‘significantly worse’ now and that fuel poverty in Scotland has doubled since the targets were established. More than a third of all households in Scotland live in fuel poverty.

Scottish Labour Housing and Social Justice Spokesperson Pauline McNeill said:

“No one in Scotland should have to choose between heating or eating in 2016, yet under the SNP government in Edinburgh fuel poverty has doubled.

The last Labour-led government set a target to eradicate fuel poverty in Scotland by November this year, but that target is going to be missed by a mile by the SNP.

Labour will consider this report carefully; tackling fuel poverty should be one of the central aims of this parliament.

This winter thousands of children will be cold in their own homes and that simply is not acceptable in 2016. The SNP government really need to get their act together – the time for talking is over we need action from a government that in 10 years has failed to get a grip.

Labour wants to see a Warm Homes Act to drive up standards and regulations. We also need to stop the cuts to local councils.

That’s why Labour will propose amendments to the upcoming Scottish budget to introduce a penny for public services on income tax to stop the cuts and invest instead.”

Scottish Labour Rural Economy and Connectivity spokesperson Rhoda Grant said:

“Fuel poverty for rural households in Scotland is double the national average, it’s clear that rural communities are paying a poverty premium under the SNP government and hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts to public services will only increase this pressure.

That is why Labour will bring forward amendments to the forthcoming Scottish budget to introduce a penny for public services on income tax to stop the cuts and invest instead.”

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4 thoughts on “In Scotland no one should have to choose between heating and eating

  1. Labours way out of fuel poverty for those less well off, is to increase their income tax.

    Lonnies to the last.

    1. Labour never proposed to increase the amount of tax those less well off would have to pay. If you were ever prepared to be honest about it, you’d accept that. But all you really have is a blinding hatred of Labour, so you’re prepared to lie and misrepresent in order to harm it. It’s sad.

      1. It’s an interesting article. Can you tell me what it means then, when it says ” Labour will bring forward amendments to the forthcoming Scottish budget to introduce a penny for public services on income tax”?
        And also, ” We also need to stop the cuts to local councils.” What does that mean, precisely?
        Thankyou

  2. The rise in fuel poverty might have something to do with the Tories in Westminster aided by labour. We didn’t know food banks existed in 2010 5 years later over a million people had passed though food banks looking for help to feed themselves.

    When people are faced with cuts in benefits, face sanctions, have to pay bedroom tax, are found fit to work when they are clearly not then a choice to eat or heat becomes a way of life. Now you could argue till you are blue in the face that it’s all the fault of the SNP if you like but we all know that these decisions are taken at Westminster.

    Sanctions were a labour idea, as were the cruel assessments by ATOS the Tories just adopted them. Labour were either voting through these cruel policies or they abstained even Ed Ball the shadow chancellor said there wasn’t one thing he would change about the £12 billion cut to welfare.

    Meanwhile at the Scottish parliament the SNP have to deal with an ever shrinking budget which means cuts to some areas whether they want to or not. They have tried their best to help by mitigating the bedroom tax, giving free prescriptions to everyone because the administration costs out weighed the cost of giving them away. They also wanted to give very primary 1-3 child a free school meal to ensure they had at least one hot meal a day and labour in Scotland voted against it.

    So tell me again why fuel poverty is rising under the SNP’s watch when people don’t have a choice between eat and heat, the Scottish government can only do so much to help at the Sxottish end but it all begins in Westminster and that is the problem.

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