GRAY FAILS TO FACE REALITY AT FIRST MINISTERS QUESTIONS

For immediate use: Thursday 23rd September 2010
Attn: NEWSDESK
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS


LABOUR CREDIBILITY CRUMBLES FURTHER


Iain Gray today continued Labour’s failure to face up to the reality of the economic situation Scotland faces or Labour’s responsibility for the recession and two thirds of the coming public spending cuts.
Labour has yet to offer any strategy for dealing with the spending cuts or for taking on the fragile recovery facing the Scottish economy.
Their failure on the economy joins their refusal to put public health before party politics and the collapse of their justice policy over recent weeks.


SNP MSP and Chief Whip Brian Adam said:


“Iain Gray’s credibility shrinks even further every week.
“His complete failure to face the reality of the economic situation Scotland faces is becoming farcical.


“The SNP in Government is investing in apprenticeships, building new homes, supporting training and working with industry to create jobs across the country in the renewable energy industry. Labour is doing nothing.
“What Iain Gray refuses to acknowledge is that the actions the SNP is taking are set against a background of economic problems brought about under the Labour party. Scotland has suffered from the UK recession and is set to suffer further from the cuts put in place by Labour government and their Conservative and Lib Dem successors. That is a challenge this party and this government is facing up to whilst Labour continue to hide their heads in the sand.


“If Alasdair Darling, Liam Byrne and Andy Burnham can face up to fact the cuts are Labour, the job losses are Labour and the responsibility for this mess is Labour’s why can’t Iain Gray.”