Dundee Unemployment : Neither Plan Osborne nor Plan Salmond has worked
Councillor Kevin Keenan
16 December 2011
Unemployment in Dundee rose last month to 5,284 , representing an unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent.
Dundee’s unemployment rate continues to be higher than both the Scottish and the UK averages ( 4.0 and 3.8 per cent respectively)
Commenting on the Dundee figures, Councillor Kevin Keenan, Labour group leader on Dundee City Council , said,
" In September, when unemployment in Scotland was lower than in the rest of the UK, Alex Salmond claimed the credit for this, and then invited Tory Chancellor George Osborne to follow SNP policies on the economy so as to bring unemployment down in the rest of the UK.
"However, now the situation has reversed. The unemployment rate in Scotland is now higher than in the rest of the UK.
"Alex Salmond keeps silent about this, refusing to accept that by his own argument, his policies must now be responsible for higher unemployment in Scotland.
"Alex Salmond can't have his cake and eat it.
"The truth is, as far as Dundee is concerned, neither George Osborne’s plan nor Alex Salmond’s plan has worked for Dundee.
"Dundonians know from their own grim experience that the Tory Government’s polices are not designed for their city.
"As for Alex Salmond, last month was the 54th. month that Alex Salmond has been First Minister of Scotland.
"In each and every single month during his time as First Minister, unemployment in Dundee has always remained above the Scottish average.
"Labour believes that its own 5 point plan is the best way to restore the economy in the immediate term and get more jobs through
* a tax on bankers' bonuses to pay for jobs for the young
* accelerating long-term investment projects
* a temporary reversal of January's 5 per cent increase in VAT
* a 1 per cent cut in VAT home improvements, repairs and maintenance to 5%
* a national insurance tax break for a year for all those small firms which take on extra workers
"I am supporting the call from Jenny Marra MSP that there should now be a Jobs Summit for Dundee."