After a tough year, it’s time for Scotland’s politicians to secure a bright future for the north-east.
The City Deal is a major success for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils and is a historic opportunity for job creation and infrastructure investment – it should be the starting point.
I’m in Aberdeen today to talk about the choices Scotland will face in May, and the different path we can take if we use the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
This week the SNP Government set their budget, which will impose hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts of schools and local services across the country.
The oil jobs crisis was ignored by the SNP Government for months because it was politically embarrassing for them, now they are openly disagreeing with trade unions about the impact of their cuts.
The north-east doesn’t need politicians denying reality, it needs investment.
High-skilled jobs in oil and gas being so fragile should be a stark reminder that Scotland needs to invest in our people now so we can compete for the jobs of the future.
That’s why the SNP budget, which slashes spending on education, is so short-sighted. It will sell Scotland short for years to come.
Faced with the choice of cuts that will undermine our future or using the powers of the Scottish Parliament Labour would use the powers.
We would set the rate of income tax 1 penny higher than the rate set by George Osborne and invest in education.
Independent analysis says that could be worth up to £2 billion for our economy and hundreds of millions more in tax revenues.
This year reject austerity and deliver real change now. We can make different choices in tax from the Tories and the SNP and invest in our future, and secure prosperity for the north-east for years to come.