SSP challenge Cameron to 'visit scene of his crimes'

The Scottish Socialist Party has challenged Prime Minister David Cameron to “visit the scene of his crimes”.

Campbell Martin, the SSP’s Council candidate for Ardrossan & Arran, has written to the Tory leader, challenging him to come to North Ayrshire when he is in Scotland next month.  Mr Martin said, “Cameron will be in Ayrshire to attend the Spring Conference of the Scottish Tories, which is being held in Troon.  So, I’ve written to him and challenged him to drive the few miles up the road to North Ayrshire, where we have Scotland’s highest unemployment.”

The former MSP continued, “In North Ayrshire there are over 5,000 adults without work, and we have the absolute disgrace of over 1,500 young people with no job.  We have the country’s second-highest level of children growing up in severe poverty, and some of Scotland’s worst levels of deprivation.  Cameron likes to talk tough about how his party’s austerity measures are necessary to tackle the UK’s economic problems, but his policies are actually devastating lives and whole communities here in North Ayrshire.

“I’ve written to him and issued a challenge: let’s see how tough you really are Mr Cameron.  Come to North Ayrshire and face-up to what you are doing to local people.  Come to North Ayrshire and I’ll show you the scene of your crimes.  Come to North Ayrshire and explain why some of the poorest members of society are paying the price of refloating the corrupt capitalist economic system.”

Mr Martin, also a former councillor in North Ayrshire, concluded, “The Tories have no mandate in Scotland, but that hasn’t stopped them imposing savage cuts to public spending north of the border.  To add insult to injury, David Cameron has the bare-faced cheek to breeze into Ayrshire for a party get-together.  So while he is in the area, let’s see if he has the bottle to face-up to the damage he and his UK Government are doing to towns and people in North Ayrshire.”

Members of the Scottish Socialist Party have been campaigning on local streets, including Saltcoats town centre, voicing opposition to cuts being imposed in North Ayrshire but to pay for debts run-up by bankers in the City of London.  The party has also actively campaigned for action to tackle the area’s soaring unemployment.  On February 1, the SSP presented a petition to the budget meeting of North Ayrshire Council, demanding councillors set a ‘no cuts’ budget and instead deliver a financial package to meet the needs of local communities.  Despite the petition containing the signatures of 1,178 local people, councillors of all parties ignored its demands and passed a budget containing further cuts totalling £23m.