Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Hamilton on Wednesday as part of a tour of key seats in Scotland.
Jeremy Corbyn visited Hamilton as part of his tour of key marginal seats
He spoke to Labour activists and members of the public at Hamilton Retail Park with Labour’s candidate for Lanark and Hamilton East, Andrew Hilland, as well as leader of the Scottish Labour Party Richard Leonard.
Mr Corbyn outlined some of the ways in which people across Lanark and Hamilton East would benefit from a UK Labour Government, including:
- Labour’s commitment to introduce a minimum wage of £10 an hour for all workers 16 or over will mean a pay rise for almost 10,000 people in Lanark and Hamilton East.
- Labour’s plans to scrap Universal Credit and replace it with a fair and compassionate welfare system will help almost 11,000 households in the constituency.
- Labour’s pledge to restore the free TV licence for the over 75s will benefit almost 7,000 older people in the seat.
- Labour’s plans to invest at least £70 billion into Scotland’s economy, infrastructure and public services will benefit the constituency’s 12,100 public sector workers and the 30,800 private sector workers.
Jeremy was delighted to be shown the minutes of the meeting that created Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse Labour Party 101 years ago this month
Lanark and Hamilton East is one of the closest marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom, with Labour’s candidate Andrew Hilland coming only 360 votes away from winning the seat at the last general election in 2017. It is one of the Labour Party’s top targets at this election.
Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn said:
At this election, we have a clear choice between a Labour government that will invest in Scotland’s jobs, public services and communities, and a Tory government that will inflict a sell out Brexit deal on our country, putting us at the mercy of Donald Trump.
The road to a Labour government runs through seats like Lanark and Hamilton East, which Labour is within 360 votes of winning. A vote for any other party risks Boris Johnson getting back into Downing Street through the back door. The only way to secure a Labour government is to vote Labour.
Andrew Hilland, Labour candidate for Lanark and Hamilton East, also addressed the gathered crowd
Andrew Hilland, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Lanark and Hamilton East, said:
Communities across Lanark and Hamilton East are suffering from almost a decade of Tory austerity and SNP cuts, as care homes are closed, bus routes withdrawn, town centres fall into disrepair and one in four children grow up in poverty.
This election offers an opportunity to change that. A Labour Government will introduce a £10 Minimum Wage, scrap Universal Credit and invest £70 billion in Scotland’s public services and economy.
Ged Killen is campaigning for re-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Labour candidates from neighbouring constituencies were also there to greet the crowd as Jeremy Corbyn was also joined by Ged Killen, who is campaigning for re-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West and Angela Feeney who hopes to win Motherwell and Wishaw back for Labour.
Angela Feeney, pictured with Jeremy Corbyn, is fighting to win Motherwell and Wishaw for Labour
15th November 2019
