News
Election:
“Crucial Choice” says Labour’s Jim Sheridan
Labour’s candidate for Paisley & Renfrewshire North,
Jim Sheridan, has labelled the upcoming election
“the most crucial electoral choice in a generation”.
Commenting on the contest, Jim Sheridan said:
“This election will be a stark choice for voters
here in Renfrewshire. After polling day it will be
either a Labour or Tory Government. I know people
have not forgotten the damage done by the Tories and
most people know they are still only interested in
helping the few, whilst Labour stands up for the
many.
“I say to voters in Renfrewshire that I understand
these have been very difficult times. We have come
through a global economic downturn and Gordon Brown
and Alistair Darling have a sensible plan to
continue our recovery. I urge voters in Renfrewshire
to take a long, hard look at what the Tories would
do to risk that economic recovery.
The Labour man has also challenged his Conservative
opponent to reveal how many people in Renfrewshire
would be disadvantaged by the Conservative plans to
cut tax credits and freeze child benefit. He said:
“The Conservative candidate must be up front with
voters here in Renfrewshire. He backs a £200,000 tax
cut for the 3,000 richest estates in the UK, and to
pay for it he would remove Tax Credits and freeze
Child Benefit. I ask him to reveal how many people
in this constituency would be disadvantaged by these
Tory policies and I urge people to go out and reject
them at the ballot box.”
"It's a two horse
race!" says Harman
 The
General Election will be a two-horse race between
Labour and the Tories was the message at the launch
of Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP Jim Sheridan’s
re-election campaign.
The launch took place in the Party’s campaign rooms
in Renfrew which were officially opened at the
weekend by the Labour Party’s Deputy Leader, Harriet
Harman.
Speaking at the launch Jim Sheridan said, “I am
grateful to Harriet and all the local party workers
who have come out to help launch our campaign. This
election will have one of two outcomes, a Labour
Government or a Tory Government and voting SNP will
only increase the risk of the Tories getting back
into power. The Tories haven't changed. In this
election they are actually promising a £200,000 tax
cut to the 3,000 richest estates in Britain and
expecting the rest of us to pay for it. We can't
allow them to get back into power. Along with our
local Labour team I will be working to keep Paisley
and Renfrewshire North Labour and return a Labour
Government for a fourth term. This is vital for hard
working families in Renfrewshire and I look forward
to taking our message to voters across the
constituency.”
Labour’s Deputy Leader Harriet Harman said, “I am
delighted to have been asked to launch Jim’s
campaign. The people of Paisley and Renfrewshire
North are fortunate to have such a dedicated
campaigner and hard working MP who is well respected
by his colleagues in Westminster. I am certain that
Jim will secure this seat for Labour and continue
providing first-class representation for his
constituents.”
Labour
MP concerned by Tories refusal to commit to Aircraft
Carrier Contract
Labour MP Jim Sheridan has today expressed concern
at the refusal of the Conservatives to commit to the
aircraft carrier contract announced last year by the
current Labour Government. The contract will give a
much needed boost to Clyde shipbuilding and will see
many new jobs created whilst safeguard employment
for existing staff.
Speaking today Mr Sheridan said, “I am deeply
concerned that following a meeting between shop
stewards and Tory Shadow Defence spokesman Liam Fox
that no guarantee was made to ensure the contract
goes ahead. A large number of my constituents work
in the shipyards which are dependent on these
contracts to continue operating.”
The vessels, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of
Wales have been scheduled to enter service towards
the end of the decade and provide the Royal Navy
with the means to meet Britain’s defence and
peace-keeping commitments worldwide.
Mr Sheridan carried on to say, “Despite the fact
that the Royal Navy needs these new ships to replace
our ageing aircraft carriers I am appalled that the
Tories refused to guarantee the carriers and that
Liam Fox indicated that on the first day of a Tory
government he would look at a 'break clause'
allowing them to pull out of the contract. The
Tories are risking thousands of Scottish
shipbuilding jobs and this is a slap in the face to
all the workers seeking assurances about their
future. For aircraft carriers and the Royal Navy the
choice is clear - safe with Labour or sunk with the
Tories."
Labour
Demand More for Paisley Town Centre
 Paisley’s
Labour Team, led by Jim Sheridan MP and Wendy
Alexander MSP have blasted the SNP Scottish
Government decision to ignore Paisley in their
recent giveaway to town centres across Scotland.
Labour are shocked that Paisley has been left out of
the second round of funding and have called on
SNP-run Renfrewshire Council to stand up to their
SNP colleagues in Edinburgh and back more support
for Paisley.
Paisley MP Jim Sheridan said: “It was my Labour
colleagues in the Scottish Parliament who called for
this town centre fund and Paisley initially got 50%
of what we asked for. I just can’t believe that in
the most recent round of funding Paisley has been
ignored completely by the SNP. Yet they can support
small towns like Macduff , Huntly, Nairn, and
Lerwick which have none of the scale of the
challenges we face in Paisley .”
Paisley North MSP Wendy Alexander presented the Town
Centre Regeneration Fund with a supporting
submission explaining the solid arguments behind our
calls for more support and yet the SNP Scottish
Government have paid no attention. Wendy said: “Our
town centre should be a central part of local
peoples’ lives – to shop, do business, meet others,
socialise, and spend leisure time. But anyone living
in Paisley knows our centre is in need of real
improvement. We need our town centre to be clean,
successful and safe. We need the SNP in Renfrewshire
and Edinburgh to listen to our demands.”
Erskine Labour Councillors Vote for New Park Mains
High
 Erskine
pupils will benefit from a brand new £33million High
School following approval by Renfrewshire Council.
The new Park Mains High School will be built
adjacent to the existing building and is scheduled
to start work by the end of this year. Erskine’s two
Labour Councillors have given their backing to the
project and hope that improved accommodation will be
good for pupils, staff and the whole local
community.
Labour’s
Education Spokesperson, Erskine Councillor Jim Harte
commented: “At a time when the SNP are making
terrible cuts to school budgets, slashing lollipop
patrols and taking away free school transport I am
pleased to be able to give my backing to some good
news for local pupils. Labour will always support
improved facilities for our young people and we must
ensure that the new school is a first class
facility.”
Erskine Labour
Councillor, Sam Mullin added: “Park Mains High is an
excellent local school and I hope that this new
building will see it going from strength to
strength. Our children deserve good quality
accommodation which enhances their education.”
Erskine MP Jim
Sheridan said: “Our most important investment is in
the education of our young people. Quite simply,
they are our future. I will be pleased to see
construction begin on our new local secondary
school.”
New
Health Centre for Renfrew
Renfrew’s
Labour Team has welcomed the progress made on the
new £18million Health & Social Work Centre for
Renfrew. The centre – given initial approval by
Labour in January 2007 – is now almost complete. The
development will mark a real improvement in
partnership working between a whole range of
agencies and services providing health and social
care for people in Renfrew. The new centre will
provide modern facilities for people using services
including GPs, dental services, physiotherapy,
podiatry, speech and language therapy and community
nursing.
Jim Sheridan, Local Labour MP said: “When Labour
promised the people of Renfrew that a new health
centre would be built it wasn’t just for a nice new
building, we wanted people to get a better service.
I am delighted that the new Health & Social Work
facility that Labour approved whilst in office in
2007 will bring together so many services under the
one roof. Labour has a record of delivering our
pledges to the people of Renfrew and I will continue
to work with the rest of the Labour team to plan for
even more improvements in the future.”
New
Elderly Care Home Opens Doors
The new £5.7million Cockles
Loan Care Home has opened its doors, improving care
and facilities for our senior citizens. The
facilities were planned and approved by the previous
Labour administration on Renfrewshire Council and
include 60 residential places with 12 specialist
beds for residents with dementia. All rooms have
en-suite facilities and there are also 40 day care
places. The home has the latest safety technology to
ensure residents are safe and secure whilst being
cared for in pleasant surroundings. Renfrew’s Labour
Councillors have welcomed the completion of a
project which they supported from day one.
Councillor Eddie Grady said: “This is exactly the
sort of quality development that our senior citizens
in residential care deserve. Labour want to see
further investment in residential care at the same
time as ensuring all our elderly
here in Renfrew – including those in their own homes
- can feel safe, secure and well cared for.”
"Give us
a bypass" says MP Jim Sheridan
 Renfrew’s
campaigning MP Jim Sheridan is leading calls to
deliver a much needed by-pass for Renfrew. The
Labour MP has listened to the concerns of many local
people about the increasing traffic problems in the
town
and is now convinced a by-pass is desperately
needed.
Jim Sheridan said: “There has always been times when
the traffic is bad at the cross but it is getting
ridiculous. There is now more traffic as a result of
Ferry Village and that along with the new traffic
management in the town means people can be sitting
for a huge amount of time just to get from one side
of Renfrew to the other. We need to see action from
the SNP Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Government
to prevent it from getting
any worse.”
Jim Sheridan
has taken time to see the problems for himself and
in discussion with local shoppers and businesses he
feels a by-pass, together with the planned
improvements in parking is just what the town needs.
Jim added: “I have written to Renfrewshire Council
and the Scottish Government to ask for action to be
taken, and I would like everyone in Renfrew who
shares my concerns to register that on the attached
survey sheet. If we can improve the traffic
situation then – together with the improvements in
parking – the town centre will become better used
and those with no intention to stop will be able to
drive round.”
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