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Election hopefuls hit the streets | Election hopefuls hit the streets |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Candidates have been taking part in a weekend of intensive campaigning in the Glasgow East by-election. | |
The Liberal Democrats called for the abolition of the council tax while the SNP said UK Government plans to reform road tax would hit local people. | |
Labour called for the creation of a local jobs task force. The Tories said that action was needed to tackle the impact of fuel costs. | |
The parties have just under two weeks before polling day on 24 July. | The parties have just under two weeks before polling day on 24 July. |
Road tax | |
Labour's Margaret Curran said she was confident her party had a strong message to take to the east end of Glasgow. | |
She said: "I want to emphasise jobs and the need to build up east end communities, there are lots of good things happening, we shouldn't talk it down, but there is still a lot to be done." | |
Calling for the creation of a local jobs task force for the area, Ms Curran added: "There's a lot of prosperity in the east end but there is still need and I think people do understand that Labour is best placed to actually tackle that need and take the east end forward." | |
SNP candidate John Mason was joined by veteran former party president, MP, MSP and MEP Dr Winnie Ewing. | |
Mr Mason attacked proposals to reform road tax which he said would hit the less well off. | |
He said: "There's incredible concern that the UK Government is planning to raise road tax again on top of fuel prices and everything else." | |
Mr Mason added: "It's just too much for local people, we certainly support anything to encourage people onto public transport and more fuel efficient cars, but to tax people on cars they've already bought - a retrospective tax - that is inherently wrong." | |
Cost of living | |
Tory leader Annabel Goldie and candidate Davena Rankin attacked the "soaring" cost of living. | |
Ms Rankin said: "We're seeing food prices shoot up, bread's jumping up every day, people are struggling to put food on their tables and we're bringing forward positive solutions to sort that out. | |
"The fuel price regulator, if introduced, would take 5p off the cost of a litre of fuel, bringing down food prices and the cost of petrol for people." | |
Liberal Democrat candidate Ian Robertson pledged to work to abolish the council tax. | |
Mr Robertson said: "What we can do is look at things like the tax system, we've always argued that we should abolish the unfair council tax system. | |
"In a constituency such as Glasgow East, certainly at least 80% of the constituency would be better off under the abolition of the council tax." |
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