Carol Mochan, Scottish Labour candidate for Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley, has called for Scottish Government action to deal with the environmental disaster of the abandoned East Ayrshire opencast sites. She was speaking after the announcement that the UK Government has ruled out coal operator Hargreaves plan to use resources from being granted exemption from Carbon Price Support (CPS) tax. Carol said
“It hardly comes as a surprise that the Tories have been stringing us along until after the election before ruling this out. All the hard work of our previous MP, Sandra Osborne backed up by her colleague Cathy Jamieson has fallen on deaf ears. Local SNP MSP Adam Ingram has been quoted as saying ‘What’s the alternative?’ Well I can answer that. The Scottish Government has to use its powers to step in and address this catastrophe.Instead of looking to Westminster for a solution he needs to tell us what financial help the Scottish Government intends to provide as the body with devolved responsibility for restoration of these areas. We are facing an environmental catastrophe in East Ayrshire and we deserve to know the practical financial response of Scottish Government as happens in other areas when disasters occur. If the minister, Fergus Ewing is prepared to announce Scottish Government financial support and challenge others to follow then we could make progress. This is another example of where devolution gives us the opportunity to act whatever Westminster decides.”
Carol also contrasted the work done on this issue by the former Labour MPs for East Ayrshire, Sandra Osborne and Cathy Jamieson with the performance of their successor SNP representatives.
“We seem to have lost political momentum on this. The MP for Kilmarnock has asked a couple of fairly tame questions on this but, the MP whose constituency is most affected, Corri Wilson has been silent. Instead of speaking up for Scotland, Cumnock and Doon Valley seems to have lost its voice at Westminster and Holyrood”
“It hardly comes as a surprise that the Tories have been stringing us along until after the election before ruling this out. All the hard work of our previous MP, Sandra Osborne backed up by her colleague Cathy Jamieson has fallen on deaf ears. Local SNP MSP Adam Ingram has been quoted as saying ‘What’s the alternative?’ Well I can answer that. The Scottish Government has to use its powers to step in and address this catastrophe.Instead of looking to Westminster for a solution he needs to tell us what financial help the Scottish Government intends to provide as the body with devolved responsibility for restoration of these areas. We are facing an environmental catastrophe in East Ayrshire and we deserve to know the practical financial response of Scottish Government as happens in other areas when disasters occur. If the minister, Fergus Ewing is prepared to announce Scottish Government financial support and challenge others to follow then we could make progress. This is another example of where devolution gives us the opportunity to act whatever Westminster decides.”
Carol also contrasted the work done on this issue by the former Labour MPs for East Ayrshire, Sandra Osborne and Cathy Jamieson with the performance of their successor SNP representatives.
“We seem to have lost political momentum on this. The MP for Kilmarnock has asked a couple of fairly tame questions on this but, the MP whose constituency is most affected, Corri Wilson has been silent. Instead of speaking up for Scotland, Cumnock and Doon Valley seems to have lost its voice at Westminster and Holyrood”