www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news...lans-86908-20637863/


By-election candidate Margaret Curran blasts SNP jail release plans

Jul 10 2008 By Magnus Gardham

LABOUR candidate Margaret Curran yesterday hit out at SNP plans to end short-term jail sentences.

She claimed the Scottish government had "failed miserably" to tackle crime in the east end of Glasgow.

And she vowed to oppose plans to end short-term jail sentences outlined in a government-backed report last month.

The report, welcomed by justice minister Kenny MacAskill, said Scotland's 8000 prisoners should be slashed to 5000.

Curran also said SNP plans to raise the price of cheap alcohol and ban under-21s from off-licences would not tackle binge drinking or booze-related crime.

She said: "As a former government minister, I took pride in pushing through a raft of measures against crime and anti-social behaviour.

"But in the last year the SNP have failed miserably to tackle crime here in the east end.

"Their proposals on binge drinking have been ridiculed and they won't support Labour's plans to give lifetime bans to shopkeepers who sell booze to children.

"Worse than that, they want to let 4000 prisoners out of jail, including 850 people convicted of knife crime.

"I will not stand by and watch people's lived ruined by plans dreamt up in an SNP ministerial Mondeo."

She also promised to "bang heads together" to deliver a safer streets action plan for Glasgow East.

The plan included doubling the number of community police on the beat and expanding CCTV.

The SNP defended their record on crime.

They said a Strathclyde police scheme, backed by £70,000 of government money, had cut crime in the last six months.

SNP candidate John Mason said: "The Enhanced Policing Plan saw crime drop across the constituency by up to 24 per cent, with violent crime down five per cent and a 27 per cent reduction in the carrying of offensive weapons.

"Too often Glasgow East is written off because of crime or violence. We must not allow that to continue."

Mason also hailed the SNP's pledge to hire an extra 1000 cops - which was dropped before the Tories and Labour forced a U-turn.

Scots Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: "I am staggered by the comments of the SNP candidate when he pretends the SNP is not soft on crime.

"He is out of touch with his own party. It is the SNP which wants to let 40,000 criminals out of our jails.

"It is the SNP which wants convicts in the community."

The by-election takes place on Thursday 24 July.

no surpise this was in the record then eh?

then we have this story stuck away on page 25

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news...lity-86908-20637868/


Cash boost for cancer patients at new Dundee facility

Jul 10 2008

CANCER patients are to benefit from a £1.6million scanner at a new clinical research centre.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon made the cash pledge for the hi-tech equipment yesterday as she opened the £13million "research hotel" in Dundee.

The centre at Ninewells Hospital has been developed by Dundee University and NHS Tayside to deliver early diagnosis and better treatment for patients with serious illnesses.

And it will allow scientists to book beds for patients while they carry out medical projects.

The cash promised by Sturgeon will provide a PET-CT scanner to target cancerous growths.

Research will be carried out into cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, and mental health.

and then this

And what will Margaret not be talking about to the good people of Glasgow East. How about these policy initiatives which she refused to support:

* 15th May 2008 - Voted against returning Attendance Allowance to pay for Free Personal Care despite Lord Sutherland's Report saying it should and despite Margaret Curran saying, on behalf of the Labour party, saying they fully accepted the report.
* 17th April 2008 - Voted against scrapping the Council Tax.
* 20th March 2008 - Voted to hamper councils building new council houses by not restricting right to buy legislation.
* 28th February 2008 - Voted against scrapping the graduate endowment tuition fee for students.
* 6th January 2008 - Failed to support a freeze on the Council Tax. (Abstained)
* 6th January 2008 - Failed to support record spending for local authorities. (Abstained)
* 6th January 2008 - Failed to support reducing prescription charges - a tax on the ill. (Abstained)
* 6th January 2008 - Failed to support 1000 extra police officers on Scotland's streets- there will 750 extra in Strathclyde. (Abstained)
* 27th September 2008 - Voted against new patient rights.
* 14th June 2007 - Failed to support billions being wasted on weapons of mass destruction.
* 27th June 2008 - Voted to spend half a billion pounds on a tram line in Edinburgh - money which could, in part be spent on key transport objectives in Glasgow.

From the Daily Record:

ALEX SALMOND EATS BABIES!!!

Okay, they didn't run that one, but it won't be long in coming...

It doesn't change the fact that the SNP should be able to fight this by-election very efficiently. If they allow Curran to pull stunts like this it only shows up their candidate. What's wrong with him? There is no shortage of issues for him to hit her with. For a start the sitting Labour MP is under a cloud due to half a million pounds worth of expenses he claimed! If he can't use that there is no hope for him. Curran is an experienced campaigner. Mason needs to find balls if he has any and go out there and take her on. I'm female and right now I feel I have more balls than he does! This shouldn't be easier for the SNP. If they can't do it this time around there's no hope for them. Really.

Darkside, I vote SNP but I will say openly that the Minister I feel has performed worst so far in the Scottish Government is MacAskill. I am NOT impressed with him so far. All he has done is focus on soft crime and done nothing about violent crime and worse. That is a serious concern for many of us yet he has had nothing to say so far. I want sentencing reviewed. I want an end to soft sentences and "This is your sentence but by the way you'll only serve half of it!" Particularly in cases where scum have murdered people. I will give you an example. One decent young man standing at bus stop at 2 in the morning on his way home. He is approached by scum who have been drinking all day who decide to stab him. Young man dies. His murderers get four years each and will be out in two. MacAskill has done NOTHING about that. Why not I say? Please don't present the SNP as the answer to everything when we are seeing no response to this sort of absurd Criminal Justice system. Where is the justice? MacAskill has lost it. He will lose the SNP a great deal.

I'm watching Newsnight, where the Hell is John Mason? Mararet Curan is there by herself!!!

That well known Labour Newsletter The Herald has a piece today suggesting that the postponement of discussion of the Embryo Bill is down to attempting to save the catholic vote in Glasgow East. Bottom line is the Herald is trying to create a Proddie versus Catholic vote in Glasgow East to save Labour? One word comes to mind. Despicable. Mysteriously the Herald site has now gone down. I think it shows the depths, nay, its beyond depths, its digging below depths most decent people would not go, the Herald is willing to go in order to save Labour. I say as a human being living in the West of Scotland that to turn this into a catholic versus protestant situation is lower than a snake's belly. Surely it is more important than that?

Clare - can you tell me what the demography of the constituency is? Catholic Vs Protestant? Does faith still play such a decisive role in West Scotland politics. I am advised that this no longer plays to the electorate - my advice comes from my youngest who is naive in the extreme.

I still don't understand the central belt. Protestants who are solid labour, anti-papist bluenoses - even though labour is a largely catholic construct isn't it? I'm confused - what's the divide?

Clare wrote:
That well known Labour Newsletter The Herald has a piece today suggesting that the postponement of discussion of the Embryo Bill is down to attempting to save the catholic vote in Glasgow East......

If the Herald was rooting for Labour why then raise this issue? If it was true, and it may be, surely that revelation would damage Labour? The Herald has journalists who lick Labour's backside but IMO the general editorial tone has been fairly neutral and occasionally even supportive of the SNP. If the Westminster Parliament did debate the embryo bill or anything else that might affect the quivering sensibilities of the religious lobby does anyone really think that many of the terminally apathetic Glasgow East electorate would even notice, or indeed, care?

Levenax wrote:
Clare wrote:
That well known Labour Newsletter The Herald has a piece today suggesting that the postponement of discussion of the Embryo Bill is down to attempting to save the catholic vote in Glasgow East......

If the Herald was rooting for Labour why then raise this issue? If it was true, and it may be, surely that revelation would damage Labour? The Herald has journalists who lick Labour's backside but IMO the general editorial tone has been fairly neutral and occasionally even supportive of the SNP. If the Westminster Parliament did debate the embryo bill or anything else that might affect the quivering sensibilities of the religious lobby does anyone really think that many of the terminally apathetic Glasgow East electorate would even notice, or indeed, care?

Lev. Actually I have just realised my post made no sense. I made a real mess of it. Apologies.

What I remain upset about however is the Herald bringing religion into this matter at all. Did you read the thread leading from the article and the sectarian bile there? It really is shocking.

Scunny according to the Herald a third of the area is "catholic" although I don't know how accurate that is.

Have been away for a bit, what is the latest on the by election? Sounds like Labour are going to keep this seat - what a crime that is.

rickyross3359 wrote:
Have been away for a bit, what is the latest on the by election? Sounds like Labour are going to keep this seat - what a crime that is.

To be honest, I wouldn't really know. How can you tell with the media we've got? We'll only know the day after.

My prediction? At worst, a vastly reduced Labour majority. They'll proclaim it as a victory no doubt, but they (and we) will know it's empty rhetoric. It'll take a long time for Labour to return to the position of power they were in, if ever.