Get help from the Stirling Citizen’s Advice Bureau when you need it

At the recent meeting of the Stirling Constituency Labour Party, Jim Roche, Chair of the Stirling District Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), gave a presentation on the advice services and assistance offered to people across Stirling. From offering a drop in service at their offices in Upper Craigs, to providing outreach services in libraries across the District, CAB help Stirling’s citizens get support on everything from applying for benefits to changing energy supplier.

Jim talked about a new rural and Eastern Villages outreach service run in partnership with Stirling Council, which gives advice and support to people transitioning to the Tory’s horrendous Universal Credit benefits scheme.

Labour Councillor Chris Kane, who is Stirling Council’s Convenor of Community Planning & Regeneration, says,

“So many of the services we rely on in every day are only offered online, meaning we require access to a computer, access to the internet and the skills to use both. While our children are being swept along by the digital revolution, the rest of us are trying to ensure we’re not swept aside by it. Digital literacy should never be taken for granted and if you are struggling, please remember you are not alone. Through services such as the Rural and Eastern Villages Advice Network, Stirling Council and CAB staff are here to help. Not everybody can afford a computer, meaning Stirling Council’s libraries offer a digital lifeline for many people. We want to ensure that nobody is excluded and everyone can get appropriate advice and support as close to home as possible.”

CLP Secretary Jennifer Preston said,

“The Stirling District Citizen’s Advice Bureau work hand in hand with Stirling Council staff to provide Stirling’s citizens with the support they need, when they need it most. Under the current Tory Government, there has never been a greater need for a service like the one CAB have provided so well for so long. There are many things the Tory Government do that are bordering on inhumane, but the cack handed way they continue to mishandle the most vulnerable in our society through policies like Universal Credit is truly appalling. Hearing first hand from Jim some of the issues that CAB has to help people deal with was heartbreaking.”

If you are, or know anybody, who could benefit from speaking with CAB, you can get in touch as follows:

CAB, 3 Cameronian Street, Stirling, FK8 2DX (their office is opposite the Stirling Observer office on Upper Craigs). The office offers a drop in service from 10am-3pm Mon-Thu.
Outwith the drop in times, you can get in touch at any time by calling 0808 800 9060.
You can visit the local CAB website at www.stirlingcab.org.uk

Labour Councillor Chris Kane slams the ‘appalling’ impact of Universal Credit in Stirling

At the December meeting of Stirling Council, councillors will hear about the devastating impact that the introduction of Universal Credit is having on our most vulnerable citizens. A report, first presented to the Council’s Community Planning and Regeneration Committee in November, was sent to full council because the impact was considered so vast and so great, that it cut across all council services.

Speaking at the November meeting, the Labour Convenor of the Community Planning and Regeneration Committee, Councillor Chris Kane, said,

“It is difficult to overstate how much of a negative impact the introduction of Universal Credit has had in Stirling.

I am appalled that a policy, peddled as liberating and progressive, is being implemented in such a cavalier and cruel fashion. Up and down the country, council after council are telling the same story: Universal Credit is fundamentally flawed and is devastating to the most vulnerable people in our communities.

We have heard stories today so astonishing they are almost inconceivable; women fleeing domestic violence being told that before they can begin the long grotesque wait for a new application to be processed, they must first spend weeks disentangling an existing joint claim, and must do it with their abusive partner at their side.

Stirling Council, and our third sector partners, have been preparing for this vicious storm for over a year. It arrived on 28th June and it is showing no signs of abating; in fact, it is getting worse. The question we must ask is not ‘are our services coping?’, but rather, ‘when will they break?’

So, what must we do? We must remit this report for consideration by the full council to ensure we have a coordinated response across all of our services and committees. We must share our evidence of the stark reality of this unfolding disaster with the UK Government, in the vein hope that one more voice pleading for a reassessment might be enough to make a difference. We must ask the Scottish Government to identify money to assist us; for while Local Authorities have the liabilities of Universal Credit it is Holyrood who have the power to provide mitigation resources.

Where this committee can influence change immediately is through internet access, particularly in our libraries. We must instruct our officers to establish what additional measures are required to ensure our citizens, many of whom do not have a computer or even an email address, get the support they need for a Universal Credit application process that is entirely online.

Finally, we must thank Stirling Council staff and our Third Sector partners such as Home Start, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Start-Up Stirling and the Stirling Carers Centre for their professionalism and compassion. It is in stark contrast to the bureaucratic barbarism of the universal credit roll out.

Stirling Council Labour Group Leader calls on local MSPs to show support for local services in next week’s budget.

Stirling Council Labour Group Leader, Councillor Danny Gibson, has today written to all local MSPs urging them not to support any minority Scottish Government budget that inflicts further financial pain and austerity on Scotland’s Local Authorities.

The letter, sent to constituency MSPs Bruce Crawford and Keith Brown, along with all Mid-Scotland and Fife list MSPs urges them to:

“show your support for our remarkable council staff and our treasured local services by pledging not to support a budget that inflicts more austerity, more cuts and more unnecessary pain on Local Authorities.”

The letter comes just days before SNP Finance Secretary Derek Mackay is due to deliver his budget. Last week the Accounts Commission said that Local Authority budgets have fallen across Scotland by 7.6% in real terms since 2011.

Councillor Gibson said,

“Whatever way the minority Scottish Government choose to dress it up, Scotland’s Local Authorities have less money to spend on essential services than they did 6 years ago. We are heading towards a cliff for local services and rather than throw us a lifeline, the minority Scottish Government is pushing us closer to the edge. It must stop and it must stop now. We need the support of all of our local MSPs to stop more council cuts.”

The full text of Councillor Gibson’s letter can be read below:

Dear

Funding for Local Authorities in 2018/19

Next week the minority Scottish Government will publish its budget for the coming year. This will include information on the grant being given to Local Authorities, including here in Stirling.

I am writing today to ask you to pledge to NOT support any Scottish Government budget that imposes more austerity and financial pain on Local Authorities.

Last week the Accounts Commission confirmed that Local Authority budgets fell in real terms in 2017/18 compared to 2016/17 and have fallen across Scotland by 7.6% in real terms since 2011. This has resulted in 30,000 local government job losses over this period and Unison Scotland state that nine out of ten austerity job losses in Scotland have been in Councils”.

Whatever way the Scottish Government choose to dress it up, Scotland’s Local Authorities have less money to spend on essential services than they did 6 years ago.

If the Scottish Government do not act now to reverse the hugely damaging approach they are taking to Local Government finances, the question we must ask is not if council services will break, but when will they break?

We are heading towards a cliff for local services and rather than throw us a lifeline, the Scottish Government is pushing us closer to the edge. It must stop and it must stop now. We need the support of all of our local MSPs to stop more council cuts.”

The Scottish Parliament has never had so many economic levers to use to support our vital local services. We need a wholescale review of council tax, rather than the tinkering around the edges we saw last year. We need to use the tax raising powers of the Scottish Parliament to protect, not cut, the local services our citizens rely on every day.

You can show your support for our remarkable staff and our treasured local services by pledging not to support a budget that inflicts more austerity, more cuts and more unnecessary pain on Local Authorities.

I urge you to tell Finance Minister Derek MacKay this before next week’s budget.

On budget day, you have a voice inside the chamber at Holyrood and, more importantly, a vote.

Kind regards

Councillor Danny Gibson

Labour Group Leader on Stirling Council

ENDS

Labour demand local MP take action in response to shock closure news for local Royal Bank branches.

Labour’s Bannockburn Councillor, Margaret Brisley, has today written to local MP Stephen Kerr demanding he stand up for local communities and fight the closure of Royal Bank of Scotland branches in Bannockburn, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane.

Councillor Brisley says,

“Some of the Royal Bank’s elderly customers have loyally banked with them for half a century or more. These are the customers whose taxes bailed out the Royal Bank when the Royal Bank needed their support. I find it thoroughly disgusting that customer loyalty and support is being rewarded with the bank door slammed in their faces. As the majority shareholder, the UK Government can, and should, step in and stop this.”

The full text of Councillor Brisley’s letter can be read below:

1 December 2017

Dear Stephen

Today, residents in my ward woke to the news that the Royal Bank of Scotland is looking to close their Bannockburn branch. Residents in Bridge of Allan and Dunblane also received similar news.

This comes just days after the Bank of Scotland announced closures to branches in Bridge of Allan, Dunblane and Springkerse.

Elderly residents in my ward and across Stirling who rely on face-to-face banking are being let down by banks.

Small businesses in my ward and across Stirling who deal predominantly in cash transactions are being let down by the banks.

Communities who see branches as a cornerstone of shopping precincts are being let down by the banks.

The UK Government is the majority shareholder in the Royal Bank of Scotland. It can put pressure on the Royal Bank to be different.

Pressure to strengthen communities, not abandon them. To reward customers for decades of loyalty to the Royal Bank with a little bit of loyalty in return. To give loyal staff much better than callous uncertainly for their futures just weeks before Christmas.

Our communities and our citizens were there for the banks in 2008 when the needed our help. Will you ask the UK Government to ensure that the Royal Bank is there for our communities when they need help now?

As the Member of Parliament for Stirling, will you meet with relevant government officials and ask them to find a way to reverse these hugely damaging closures?

Will you put pressure on the Royal Bank of Scotland to work with communities to find a way to keep these branches open?

I would be grateful for your responses soon – time is very much of the essence here.

Kind regards

Cllr Margaret Brisley

Labour Councillor for Bannockburn Ward

Statement by the Stirling Constituency Labour Party on the lifting of suspension and reinstatement of Tory Party Whip to Stirling Councillors Robert Davies and Alistair Majury:

“Stirling deserves better than offensive Tory councillors and feckless Tory discipline. Given the deeply offensive views expressed by Councillors Majury and Davis, ‘Keep your heads down lads and it will all blow over in a couple of months’ is a response you’d expect in a 1970s TV cop show, not a political party in 2017. With this incident, the Tory party has shown bad judgement in choosing councillors and poor leadership in denouncing sectarianism and racism in Scotland today.

Councillors Davies and Majury need to face up to their actions and offer their resignations to their constituents.”

Thursday 4 May is Stirling Council Election Day

Read our Manifesto For Stirling and you’ll see Labour have a vision for Stirling’s future and a track record of success.

Vote Labour to protect the local services – from schools, care services, paths, parks, roads and more – that touch our daily lives.

We need local Labour champions who will drive Stirling forward.

Stirling deserves better than SNP candidates who won’t even stand up to their own party and the damage the SNP Government are doing to local services. Stirling Council’s budget has been CUT by £2.6 million this year by Nicola Sturgeon.

Stirling deserves better than Tory candidates who are following an increasingly right wing austerity agenda. Send a message to the Tories that Scotland is shamed by the Rape Clause they’ve introduced.

Vote Labour and you’re voting for a plan to build hundreds more social homes across Stirling’s communities over the next four years.

Vote Labour for a municipal energy company to help tackle fuel poverty and ensure communities retain profits.

Vote Labour to help re-regulate busses to ensure they run to community not commercial priorities.

Vote for local Labour champions on May 4^th.

Stirling Labour sets out vision for Stirling with 2017 Manifesto

Bold new commitments to local bus and energy companies feature in Labour’s manifesto for Stirling. The party’s key priorities were unveiled this week and include a promise to double to 1200 the number of hours of free pre-school childcare available to families, and realise the potential of £600 million in City Region Deal investment. The document will help shape Stirling over the next five years if Labour return to power on May 4^th.

Your Labour candidates who will deliver on manifesto commitments

Violet Weir, one of two Labour candidates standing in the Bannockburn ward, told an audience of local party members and guests that the Labour-led Administration had much to be proud about since coming to power in 2012. Violet said,

“We have created over 400 council homes, built new schools at Cowie and St Ninians, and the £35 million Stirling Care Village is months away from opening. But we must go further and in the next five years we want to create more social rented homes that we have in the last five years. We will promote Stirling to employers around the world and we will realise the once in a generation potential of the £600 million City Region Deal that Labour Councillors are negotiating. We have a vision for Stirling and we will work tirelessly to deliver it in the face of continuing and unnecessary cuts to council budgets from the SNP Government at Holyrood.”

Chris Kane, one of two Labour candidates standing in Stirling East, spoke on the thinking behind the new approach to public transport and energy production. Chris said,

“It is unacceptable that fuel poverty exists and that Stirling’s citizens can’t rely on public transport to get them where they need to be when they need to be there. We want bus services run to community not commercial priorities. We want locally produced green energy with lower costs, fixed for longer periods. Stirling Council has the scale and the resources to kick start a local green energy revolution and sort out the buses and if Labour are in Administration in May, we’ll get to work and deliver for Stirling.”

The keynote speaker at the launch event was Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Alex Rowley MSP who said that Labour were the only party who offered a vision for Stirling’s future, backed up by a track record of success in the past.

To download a full copy of our manifesto, click here.

To read individual sections of our manifesto online, click on the links below:

Alex Rowley MSP with local members and candidates

Dunblane and Bridge of Allan Ward

mike-robbins Members in Bridge of Allan & Dunblane have chosen Mike Robbins to be their candidate. Mike has lived in Dunblane for nearly thirty years with his wife and they have two grown up children. Mike is currently Provost of Stirling Council.