JOHN McDonnell has urged the SNP to “fix the NHS” in Scotland as he insisted that Labour was the only British-wide anti-austerity party and was capable of getting one million party members.
In an article for the Scottish Left Review, the Shadow Chancellor said Jeremy Corbyn’s election as leader had led to a “paradigm shift” in British politics and the party’s recent history.
The London MP’s election as leader has led to a large increase in party membership, up around 185,000 since the May General Election and now standing at almost 400,000.
Noting how the increase was larger than the entire membership of the Tory Party, Mr McDonnell said: “Those numbers still continue to grow. Many are young people, who represent the future of Labour. Jeremy is aiming for one million members. I think we can do it.”
He went on: “Of course, we want to restore the faith many Scottish people once had in Labour but has now dwindled. But we also want those on the Left, who were inspired by the referendum campaign last year, to remember they have a place in Labour still and that they can use that energy to achieve our shared socialist aims.”
The Shadow Chancellor said Labour’s catastrophe in Scotland was matched by the SNP’s triumph.
He said the Nationalists’ “apparent stance on austerity” came through clearly in the same way as the Tories’ “cheap slogan” of their long-term economic plan had.
“I honestly welcome a genuine anti-austerity SNP in Scotland but I challenge it to stick by its word on this. The truth is the SNP’s record is coming under increasing scrutiny. It welcomes Tory cuts to corporation tax while proclaiming its anti-austerity credentials. It needs to put its rhetoric into action.
“For example, will it now support Kezia’s stance on using the new powers over taxation at the Scottish Parliament to mitigate the impact of Tory cuts to tax credits on working people?”
Mr McDonnell said Labour was clear in wanting to redistribute wealth and rebalance the economy. “Whereas the SNP, despite having the power and the ability to turn rhetoric into reality, has not introduced one redistributive policy in eight years.”
He went on: “So, if the SNP is serious about tackling poverty and challenging austerity, I call on it to fix the Scottish NHS, which Audit Scotland says is under so much pressure. I call on it to reinvest the money it has taken out of colleges and ensure young people and those seeking to retrain and start again from the most deprived areas get the opportunities others receive.
“Likewise, I call on it to sort out the widening educational attainment gap between Scottish children, which we know is all too often determined by the socio-economic circumstances of our children.”
He added: “If it doesn’t, then perhaps the SNP’s anti-austerity is just games that reflects the old politics; spin and deception to gain one over your opponent.
“Only time will tell but time is not on the side of people who need change the most. That is why if you want to oppose austerity, then you must stand with and help strengthen the only British-wide anti-austerity party.”
In response, an SNP spokesman said: “No wonder people question Labour’s competence when even their shadow Chancellor doesn’t know that the Tories’ proposed tax credit cuts have been scrapped and no wonder John McDonnell wants to pretend that didn’t happen after Labour ran up the white flag in the face of George Osborne’s plans while strong opposition from the SNP helped ensure a Tory climbdown.”
He added: “Labour has abandoned any pretence of opposition to the Tories; they are far too busy attacking each other. Labour’s complete economic incoherence and these comments may go some way to explain Labour’s dismal public support in Scotland.’’
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