GE15: Candidates Take Credit For Jobs Boost

Two election candidates standing in Fife are both claiming that their parties are responsible for a rise in employment.

The Liberal Democrat and Conservative hopefuls, Tim Brett and Huw Bell, are both taking the credit - the Lib Dems say that their economic recovery plans have cut the number of Fifers receiving jobseekers allowance, while the Tories claim they have created 100 jobs for every day of the last Government in Scotland.

In response, the SNP say Scotland needs more powers to help cut joblessness. Stephen Gethins said:

"The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition's policies have had a devastating impact on families in Fife and across Scotland and not even met their own economic targets. What is needed is an end to damaging austerity that is affecting our most vulnerable and putting a sustainable recovery in jeopardy.

"We also need to see more powers returned to Scotland so that  the Scottish Government can continue to pursue policies that help families and businesses such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme and Council Tax Freeze."

Brian Thomson, the Labour candidate iin North East Fife, said:

"It is often assumed that North East Fife is an affluent area, but the recent TUC figures show that a low wage economy is operating in North East Fife.  It is clear that there is a massive gulf between the most affluent in North East Fife and those who are are stuck on low incomes, and it is a damning indictment on the policies that have been pursued by the Tory-Lib Dem coalition.  

"It is terrible that so many people living in North East Fife are living in poverty, or dependent on in-work benefits."

The Scottish Greens candidate Andy Collins said: "We should also bear in mind that a lot of the new jobs created are not much better than slave labour."