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Candidate's response - Peter Grant, Scottish National Party

Candidate's responses will be posted here as soon as we receive them.

You can contact this candidate by post, phone or email:

  • Address: Peter Grant, Glenrothes Campaign HQ, 20 High Street, Markinch, Glenrothes KY7 6DQ
  • Email: peter.grant@snp.org
  • Telephone: 01592 754 832

Q1  PCS is campaigning for a national civil service pay framework, which would protect members pay from erosion by inflation. Do you support PCS's campaign against cuts in real pay for public services?

The UK Labour government has repeatedly let down the trade unions when it comes to paying a fair reward for the real and hard work done by public servants.

In contrast the Scottish Government awarded police in Scotland the full pay award recommended by the independent pay board, backdated the payrise for nurses and is using as much flexibility as possible to offer the best possible deal for Scotland's civil servants.

At local government level whilst the dispute continues, in offering 5.5% over two years Scottish Local Government has sought to go as far as possible toward meeting expectations, offering a better pay deal than that available for local government workers in other parts of the UK.

A UK wide framework could mean that the Scottish Government, when the UK Government let unions down, would be unable to offer public servants the pay deal you deserve.

Q2   PCS is concerned that the latest proposals to reform welfare will mean cutting benefits and increasing pressure on some of the most vulnerable in our society, without increasing the public resources aimed at helpingthem. Where do you stand on the Green Paper on Welfare reform?

Reform of the welfare system is necessary but the UK Government’s green paper raises some concerns. With half of applicants for the employment and support allowance likely to fail the new tests the SNP has real concerns that some people will be inappropriately put onto lower allowances or into jobs they are unable to cope with.

Those who can work and want to work should be given every encouragement and opportunity to do so. There are very few people who are able to work but simply choose not to. For most issues of childcare or caring for others, incapacity, disability, stress or the lack of confidence that can build up after long periods out of work are limiting factors.

In reforming the benefits system it is essential that while encouraging people back into work, offering training and other support, these factors are taken into account and that those who are vulnerable, those who are caring for others and those who need support are given that support and do not see their benefits taken away simply to cut the UK Government’s budget.

Q3  PCS is concerned that the UK Government has privatised more of the Civil Service since 1997 than the Conservative Government did in 18 years.  These privatisations are costly and unneccesary as they are jeapordising services being delivered to the public, often the most vulnerable in society. Where do you stand on privatising public services, in particular the delivery of employment services.

The creeping privatisation of public services has been a trademark of New Labour's 11 years in control in Westminster. Even in Scotland Labour's privatisation agenda was part of the 8 years of Labour and Liberal Democrat administration with increasing private sector involvement in the health service.

As the SNP's candidate for Glenrothes I am concerned by this agenda and the impact it will have on those in need of services. Employment services must be delivered in a way that takes account of the specific needs and situations of the individuals involved.

Whilst partnership working in this area is a success, involving employers and voluntary organisations, the proposed privatisation of DWP frontline services risks the standards of service that vulnerable people would have access to in a very sensitive area.