Carol's News Releases for the 2017 General Election
Labour picks General Election candidate
Carol Mochan has been selected to fight Ayr Carrick & Cumnock for Labour in the General Election on June 8. Carol was the Scottish Labour candidate in Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley in last year's Scottish Parliament election and is Chair of the local Constituency Labour Party. Speaking of her pride in being selected as Labour Candidate for Ayr Carrick and Cumnock, she said,
'I have been campaigning in every part of this constituency for many years and know at first hand the problems people face and the issues they raise. Only Labour can stand up to the Tories here and fight their cruel austerity programme. Only Labour can defeat the SNP and put an end to their obsession with another independence referendum. For the past two years we have had an ineffective MP with nothing to say and incapable of standing up for the local area. This election provides the opportunity to change that and elect an MP again who is is not afraid to work hard; stand up for local people and fight on their behalf.'
Former Labour MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, Sandra Osborne, said: “I’m delighted that Carol has been selected. She is a very hard working and committed person and would make an excellent MP for this constituency. This area desperately needs a strong voice in Parliament once again and Carol would be just that."
Background
Carol is a mum-of-two who grew up in the constituency, attending Girvan Primary School and Auchinleck Academy. Having worked in the NHS she now runs a successful kennels business in Mauchline.
Carol challenges Corri
Local Labour Candidate Carol Mochan has challenged SNP MP Corri Wilson to a debate on 'Who can beat the Tories?'. Speaking at the launch of her campaign in Ayr High Street on Saturday, she said, 'For two years we have had an ineffectual MP with little or nothing to say about anything local or national. Now the SNP would have you believe that they are best placed to oppose the Tory Government of Theresa May. I am challenging Corri Wilson to debate with me anywhere in the constituency who is best placed to beat the Tories. The stakes at this election really could not be higher. It’s a choice between a hard right Tory Government, intent on pursuing a hard Brexit at any cost or a Labour Government that is offering better and fairer choices, and will put workers’ rights at the heart of everything we do. That is the choice that is on offer on June 8. We have the opportunity to boot them out of office in just a few short weeks. This is the Government of the bedroom tax, which led to tens of thousands of the most vulnerable people in our country being forced out of their homes. It is the Government of a cruel sanctions regime which sees the sick and disabled penalised. I will be arguing that an SNP vote on June 8 will change nothing and simply ensure that Theresa May gets the majority she craves. The SNP are totally obsessed with securing a wasteful divisive second independence referendum. Labour would provide a Government committed to standing up for people; determined to tackle the real issues that impact on ordinary people's lives not distracted by endless constitutional arguments. With a General Election due in just a few short weeks our MP can no longer hide behind her SNP colleagues at Westminster. It's time for her to go public and debate with me face to face.'
Carol at Launch of A77 Action Group
Local Labour candidate Carol Mochan has strongly backed the A77 Action Group petition lodged at the Scottish Parliament for the A77 to be made dual carriageway from Ayr to Cairnryan. Carol attended the launch of the campaign in Stranraer last week. She said,
'The upgrade to the road would bring financial and economic benefits to both South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. It would also be a fantastic opportunity to increase commerce between Scotland and Northern Ireland. The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to dual the A77 from Ayr Whitletts Roundabout south to the two ferry ports located at Cairnryan, including the point at which the A77 connects with the A75. I am urging people to sign the petition before the closing date of 19 June and to attend the Carrick launch of the campaign in
the Carrick Centre, Maybole on June 9 at 7 pm '
The petition states: “The pulse of vehicle numbers associated with the HGV traffic coming off the ferries results in long convoyed queues in a platoon effect travelling along the road, making passing these vehicles dangerous. There is a large proportion of tourist traffic, which is unfamiliar with the snaking, twisting nature of the road. “There is a mix of slow (agricultural vehicles) and fast-moving traffic (cars and motorcyclists), which can cause delays and lead to driver impatience in the form of rash and often near fatal errors of judgement. “In some places the road width does not allow two HGVs to safely pass each other without one giving way to the other. The road width also does not allow road work to be carried out in a safe way without closures.'
Ends
Standing up or Gaiety
Former MP George Foulkes and former Provost Liz Foulkes joined Labour Candidate Carol Mochan to campaign for Labour in Ayr on Saturday (20th). Together they sent out a strong message of support for the Gaiety Theatre which has been facing a funding crisis after their Council grant was cut. Carol said" We just wanted to put out a strong message of support for the Gaiety as their future funding is about to be considered. With Council funding restored they would be in a strong position to attract the necessary resources from Creative Scotland. Make no mistake, the budget cuts by both the Tories at Westminster and the SNP at Holyrood have put councils in a terrible position when it comes to determining funding priorities. But I am confident the political will will be there to make sure the Gaiety is able to go from strength to strength. I recently had a very helpful briefing from the Ayr Gaiety Partnership Chair, Ian Welsh, setting out how the Gaiety is so much more than just a successful theatre. The partnership with the Council and wider community has delivered strongly for the citizens of South Ayrshire, not only in cultural terms but in training, employment and town centre regeneration all of which maximises economic return to the Council.
As your MP I will do everything I can to make sure funding is in place locally and nationally and the future is secure for the Ayr Gaiety"
East Ayrshire Eden for opencast sites
Local Labour Candidate, Carol Mochan has called for an imaginative solution to the blight of abandoned opencast sites in East Ayrshire. Carol said,
'Cornwall's Eden Project goes from strength to strength with 13 million visitors in the last decade. The Eden Project cost £141m to build and is reckoned to have generated over a billion pounds for the West Country in extra tourist spending yet it was begun with a small local authority grant. This 160-year-old disused china clay pit has been called by the New York Times "the eighth wonder of the world" and I think it could be the inspiration for an imaginative solution to the abandoned opencast sites in East Ayrshire.
We need a plan like the Eden Project that brings together social enterprise, education, environmental conservation, leisure and entertainment.
The Scottish Labour Party Conference passed my resolution two years ago, condemning "the failure of both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to address the environmental crisis of the unrestored opencast mines in East Ayrshire" and calling on "both governments to use their respective powers to provide the financial support required to ensure full restoration of the sites, addressing environmental concerns and seeking to create employment in the areas affected"
Both the Westminster and Holyrood government's could do something about this. One proposal was to grant exemption from Carbon Price Support duty, set on coal used for electricity production, which would have made it economical for Hargreaves to employ its workers to restore landscapes ruined by past opencast developments as well as extract coal from brownfield sites. True to form the Tories dropped their interest in this after the last General Election.
If this had been delivered it would have gone a long way to solving the disastrous environmental damage as well as creating around a thousand jobs. Another proposal has been to support a Biomass Project which would see the sites restored; a biomass crop grown producing carbon neutral fuel, jobs created; and a renewable cheap energy source for the benefit of individuals and public sector bodies. There are examples of this being done successfully in other parts of the UK and in Europe both combined with coal extraction and as a replacement for fossil fuels.
The U.K. Treasury has a role to play in solving the opencast crisis and in providing funding but ultimately, restoration is a devolved matter to Holyrood. There are options available if the will is there to resource the restoration of the abandoned opencast sites. What we need is imagination, cooperation and leadership - all of which have been in short supply till now. Something similar to what has been achieved in Cornwall should not be beyond the imagination and ability of the key players here in Scotland. Governments could work hand in hand with the local communities and the local authority and take inspiration from the success of the Dumfries House and Knockroon Community projects. Our Current SNP MP has had nothing to say on this and has allowed the matter to drift for two years. I am determined to change that if I am elected on June 8th.'
Keir Hardie Author backs Carol
Local Labour candidate Carol Mochan was joined on the campaign trail in Cumnock last week by author Pauline Bryan. Pauline edited the book "What would Keir Hardie say?", published to mark the centenary of his death. They also took time to visit the Baird Institute during her visit.
Pauline said,
'I am here supporting Carol Mochan because she is true to Hardie’s socialist ideals and vision.Hardie was no nationalist but he supported a Scottish Parliament with powers to make a difference. He would recognise today's struggles against attacks on welfare; trade union rights; immigration; the move towards more privatisation; the European Union; an economy benefiting the rich and powerful.
Carol said,
'It was great to have Pauline here supporting me. We are so proud of Keir Hardie here in Cumnock. I believe he would recognise all the key policies Labour is putting forward in this election- a £10 an hour living wage lifting 5 million out of poverty wages; equal treatment for WASPI women born in the 1950s being cheated out of pension promises; keeping the triple lock on retirement pensions ensuring at least a 2.5% annual rise; an end to zero hours contracts currently affecting over 50,000 Scottish workers; a law against banks closing rural branches; bringing rail, energy supply and water back into public ownership and reversing privatisation of Royal Mail; making those who can well afford it, pay a bit extra in taxes; saying NO to a wasteful divisive second independence referendum and working for the best deal for the U.K. and Scotland exiting the EU."
Treasury Amnesty on high interest Council Loans to fund projects like Ayr Station Hotel
Labour Candidate Carol Mochan has weighed into the debate on the Ayr Station Hotel with a plan to finance its restoration. She is calling on the UK Treasury to declare an amnesty on interest due on Council debt taken out with the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) prior to devolution in 1999. She reckons this would save South Ayrshire Council £3.08 million a year.
Carol said,
"I am calling for an amnesty on loan interest on debts South Ayrshire Council took out with the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) before devolution in 1999. That could save the council some £3.08 million a year. Free from these high interest loan repayments South Ayrshire could provide the services people need and would have the financial confidence to go ahead with the new Riverside Regeneration and the restoration of the iconic Station Hotel building. We could do both. Research carried out by the union UNITE shows that the equivalent of 32p of every pound in council tax paid in South Ayrshire is spent on paying interest on historic debt. The interest rate on loans taken out before devolution runs at around 8%, almost double that of loans taken out since under the Scottish Parliament.
Public services are facing cuts because of the austerity budgets of both the Tories at Westminster and the SNP passing on the cuts at Holyrood. I believe a debt amnesty will help. There is already a precedent for it – the last Labour UK Government wrote off Glasgow City Council’s historic housing debt when its homes were transferred to a new housing association. We need the UK Treasury to act. The cuts are taking a massive toll on people's lives. Labour has backed a budget for South Ayrshire that uses reserves to shield vulnerable people from the worst impact of the cuts. But you can't do that year on year. We need a Labour Government with different spending priorities but we also need an immediate boost to the area with an imaginative initiative on this scale."
Why you should vote for Carol in 250 words
"This Election is about whether we have a Labour or a Tory Government after June 8th. A vote for the SNP changes nothing and will help Theresa May get back into No 10. I have led the agenda in this election on both local and national issues setting out how Labour's policies will benefit the many not the few.
Locally I have set out ideas for the restoration of the abandoned opencast sites in East Ayrshire; the dualling of the A77 from Whitletts Roundabout to Cairnryan; a U.K. Treasury amnesty on loan interest so the Council can afford to save the iconic Ayr Station Hotel and support seaside towns like Girvan; securing Ayr Gaiety's future funding.
I am also proud of Labour's national manifesto for the many not the few - a £10 an hour living wage lifting 5 million out of poverty wages; equal treatment for WASPI women born in the 1950s being cheated out of pension promises; keeping the triple lock on retirement pensions ensuring at least a 2.5% annual rise; an end to zero hours contracts currently affecting over 50,000 Scottish workers; a law against banks closing rural branches; bringing rail, energy supply and water back into public ownership and reversing privatisation of Royal Mail; making those who can well afford it, pay a bit extra in taxes; saying NO to a wasteful divisive second independence referendum and working for the best deal for the U.K. and Scotland exiting the EU."
Labour picks General Election candidate
Carol Mochan has been selected to fight Ayr Carrick & Cumnock for Labour in the General Election on June 8. Carol was the Scottish Labour candidate in Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley in last year's Scottish Parliament election and is Chair of the local Constituency Labour Party. Speaking of her pride in being selected as Labour Candidate for Ayr Carrick and Cumnock, she said,
'I have been campaigning in every part of this constituency for many years and know at first hand the problems people face and the issues they raise. Only Labour can stand up to the Tories here and fight their cruel austerity programme. Only Labour can defeat the SNP and put an end to their obsession with another independence referendum. For the past two years we have had an ineffective MP with nothing to say and incapable of standing up for the local area. This election provides the opportunity to change that and elect an MP again who is is not afraid to work hard; stand up for local people and fight on their behalf.'
Former Labour MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, Sandra Osborne, said: “I’m delighted that Carol has been selected. She is a very hard working and committed person and would make an excellent MP for this constituency. This area desperately needs a strong voice in Parliament once again and Carol would be just that."
Background
Carol is a mum-of-two who grew up in the constituency, attending Girvan Primary School and Auchinleck Academy. Having worked in the NHS she now runs a successful kennels business in Mauchline.
Carol challenges Corri
Local Labour Candidate Carol Mochan has challenged SNP MP Corri Wilson to a debate on 'Who can beat the Tories?'. Speaking at the launch of her campaign in Ayr High Street on Saturday, she said, 'For two years we have had an ineffectual MP with little or nothing to say about anything local or national. Now the SNP would have you believe that they are best placed to oppose the Tory Government of Theresa May. I am challenging Corri Wilson to debate with me anywhere in the constituency who is best placed to beat the Tories. The stakes at this election really could not be higher. It’s a choice between a hard right Tory Government, intent on pursuing a hard Brexit at any cost or a Labour Government that is offering better and fairer choices, and will put workers’ rights at the heart of everything we do. That is the choice that is on offer on June 8. We have the opportunity to boot them out of office in just a few short weeks. This is the Government of the bedroom tax, which led to tens of thousands of the most vulnerable people in our country being forced out of their homes. It is the Government of a cruel sanctions regime which sees the sick and disabled penalised. I will be arguing that an SNP vote on June 8 will change nothing and simply ensure that Theresa May gets the majority she craves. The SNP are totally obsessed with securing a wasteful divisive second independence referendum. Labour would provide a Government committed to standing up for people; determined to tackle the real issues that impact on ordinary people's lives not distracted by endless constitutional arguments. With a General Election due in just a few short weeks our MP can no longer hide behind her SNP colleagues at Westminster. It's time for her to go public and debate with me face to face.'
Carol at Launch of A77 Action Group
Local Labour candidate Carol Mochan has strongly backed the A77 Action Group petition lodged at the Scottish Parliament for the A77 to be made dual carriageway from Ayr to Cairnryan. Carol attended the launch of the campaign in Stranraer last week. She said,
'The upgrade to the road would bring financial and economic benefits to both South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. It would also be a fantastic opportunity to increase commerce between Scotland and Northern Ireland. The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to dual the A77 from Ayr Whitletts Roundabout south to the two ferry ports located at Cairnryan, including the point at which the A77 connects with the A75. I am urging people to sign the petition before the closing date of 19 June and to attend the Carrick launch of the campaign in
the Carrick Centre, Maybole on June 9 at 7 pm '
The petition states: “The pulse of vehicle numbers associated with the HGV traffic coming off the ferries results in long convoyed queues in a platoon effect travelling along the road, making passing these vehicles dangerous. There is a large proportion of tourist traffic, which is unfamiliar with the snaking, twisting nature of the road. “There is a mix of slow (agricultural vehicles) and fast-moving traffic (cars and motorcyclists), which can cause delays and lead to driver impatience in the form of rash and often near fatal errors of judgement. “In some places the road width does not allow two HGVs to safely pass each other without one giving way to the other. The road width also does not allow road work to be carried out in a safe way without closures.'
Ends
Standing up or Gaiety
Former MP George Foulkes and former Provost Liz Foulkes joined Labour Candidate Carol Mochan to campaign for Labour in Ayr on Saturday (20th). Together they sent out a strong message of support for the Gaiety Theatre which has been facing a funding crisis after their Council grant was cut. Carol said" We just wanted to put out a strong message of support for the Gaiety as their future funding is about to be considered. With Council funding restored they would be in a strong position to attract the necessary resources from Creative Scotland. Make no mistake, the budget cuts by both the Tories at Westminster and the SNP at Holyrood have put councils in a terrible position when it comes to determining funding priorities. But I am confident the political will will be there to make sure the Gaiety is able to go from strength to strength. I recently had a very helpful briefing from the Ayr Gaiety Partnership Chair, Ian Welsh, setting out how the Gaiety is so much more than just a successful theatre. The partnership with the Council and wider community has delivered strongly for the citizens of South Ayrshire, not only in cultural terms but in training, employment and town centre regeneration all of which maximises economic return to the Council.
As your MP I will do everything I can to make sure funding is in place locally and nationally and the future is secure for the Ayr Gaiety"
East Ayrshire Eden for opencast sites
Local Labour Candidate, Carol Mochan has called for an imaginative solution to the blight of abandoned opencast sites in East Ayrshire. Carol said,
'Cornwall's Eden Project goes from strength to strength with 13 million visitors in the last decade. The Eden Project cost £141m to build and is reckoned to have generated over a billion pounds for the West Country in extra tourist spending yet it was begun with a small local authority grant. This 160-year-old disused china clay pit has been called by the New York Times "the eighth wonder of the world" and I think it could be the inspiration for an imaginative solution to the abandoned opencast sites in East Ayrshire.
We need a plan like the Eden Project that brings together social enterprise, education, environmental conservation, leisure and entertainment.
The Scottish Labour Party Conference passed my resolution two years ago, condemning "the failure of both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to address the environmental crisis of the unrestored opencast mines in East Ayrshire" and calling on "both governments to use their respective powers to provide the financial support required to ensure full restoration of the sites, addressing environmental concerns and seeking to create employment in the areas affected"
Both the Westminster and Holyrood government's could do something about this. One proposal was to grant exemption from Carbon Price Support duty, set on coal used for electricity production, which would have made it economical for Hargreaves to employ its workers to restore landscapes ruined by past opencast developments as well as extract coal from brownfield sites. True to form the Tories dropped their interest in this after the last General Election.
If this had been delivered it would have gone a long way to solving the disastrous environmental damage as well as creating around a thousand jobs. Another proposal has been to support a Biomass Project which would see the sites restored; a biomass crop grown producing carbon neutral fuel, jobs created; and a renewable cheap energy source for the benefit of individuals and public sector bodies. There are examples of this being done successfully in other parts of the UK and in Europe both combined with coal extraction and as a replacement for fossil fuels.
The U.K. Treasury has a role to play in solving the opencast crisis and in providing funding but ultimately, restoration is a devolved matter to Holyrood. There are options available if the will is there to resource the restoration of the abandoned opencast sites. What we need is imagination, cooperation and leadership - all of which have been in short supply till now. Something similar to what has been achieved in Cornwall should not be beyond the imagination and ability of the key players here in Scotland. Governments could work hand in hand with the local communities and the local authority and take inspiration from the success of the Dumfries House and Knockroon Community projects. Our Current SNP MP has had nothing to say on this and has allowed the matter to drift for two years. I am determined to change that if I am elected on June 8th.'
Keir Hardie Author backs Carol
Local Labour candidate Carol Mochan was joined on the campaign trail in Cumnock last week by author Pauline Bryan. Pauline edited the book "What would Keir Hardie say?", published to mark the centenary of his death. They also took time to visit the Baird Institute during her visit.
Pauline said,
'I am here supporting Carol Mochan because she is true to Hardie’s socialist ideals and vision.Hardie was no nationalist but he supported a Scottish Parliament with powers to make a difference. He would recognise today's struggles against attacks on welfare; trade union rights; immigration; the move towards more privatisation; the European Union; an economy benefiting the rich and powerful.
Carol said,
'It was great to have Pauline here supporting me. We are so proud of Keir Hardie here in Cumnock. I believe he would recognise all the key policies Labour is putting forward in this election- a £10 an hour living wage lifting 5 million out of poverty wages; equal treatment for WASPI women born in the 1950s being cheated out of pension promises; keeping the triple lock on retirement pensions ensuring at least a 2.5% annual rise; an end to zero hours contracts currently affecting over 50,000 Scottish workers; a law against banks closing rural branches; bringing rail, energy supply and water back into public ownership and reversing privatisation of Royal Mail; making those who can well afford it, pay a bit extra in taxes; saying NO to a wasteful divisive second independence referendum and working for the best deal for the U.K. and Scotland exiting the EU."
Treasury Amnesty on high interest Council Loans to fund projects like Ayr Station Hotel
Labour Candidate Carol Mochan has weighed into the debate on the Ayr Station Hotel with a plan to finance its restoration. She is calling on the UK Treasury to declare an amnesty on interest due on Council debt taken out with the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) prior to devolution in 1999. She reckons this would save South Ayrshire Council £3.08 million a year.
Carol said,
"I am calling for an amnesty on loan interest on debts South Ayrshire Council took out with the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) before devolution in 1999. That could save the council some £3.08 million a year. Free from these high interest loan repayments South Ayrshire could provide the services people need and would have the financial confidence to go ahead with the new Riverside Regeneration and the restoration of the iconic Station Hotel building. We could do both. Research carried out by the union UNITE shows that the equivalent of 32p of every pound in council tax paid in South Ayrshire is spent on paying interest on historic debt. The interest rate on loans taken out before devolution runs at around 8%, almost double that of loans taken out since under the Scottish Parliament.
Public services are facing cuts because of the austerity budgets of both the Tories at Westminster and the SNP passing on the cuts at Holyrood. I believe a debt amnesty will help. There is already a precedent for it – the last Labour UK Government wrote off Glasgow City Council’s historic housing debt when its homes were transferred to a new housing association. We need the UK Treasury to act. The cuts are taking a massive toll on people's lives. Labour has backed a budget for South Ayrshire that uses reserves to shield vulnerable people from the worst impact of the cuts. But you can't do that year on year. We need a Labour Government with different spending priorities but we also need an immediate boost to the area with an imaginative initiative on this scale."
Why you should vote for Carol in 250 words
"This Election is about whether we have a Labour or a Tory Government after June 8th. A vote for the SNP changes nothing and will help Theresa May get back into No 10. I have led the agenda in this election on both local and national issues setting out how Labour's policies will benefit the many not the few.
Locally I have set out ideas for the restoration of the abandoned opencast sites in East Ayrshire; the dualling of the A77 from Whitletts Roundabout to Cairnryan; a U.K. Treasury amnesty on loan interest so the Council can afford to save the iconic Ayr Station Hotel and support seaside towns like Girvan; securing Ayr Gaiety's future funding.
I am also proud of Labour's national manifesto for the many not the few - a £10 an hour living wage lifting 5 million out of poverty wages; equal treatment for WASPI women born in the 1950s being cheated out of pension promises; keeping the triple lock on retirement pensions ensuring at least a 2.5% annual rise; an end to zero hours contracts currently affecting over 50,000 Scottish workers; a law against banks closing rural branches; bringing rail, energy supply and water back into public ownership and reversing privatisation of Royal Mail; making those who can well afford it, pay a bit extra in taxes; saying NO to a wasteful divisive second independence referendum and working for the best deal for the U.K. and Scotland exiting the EU."
Archive of Scottish Parliament campaign
Support ferry workers and their families by backing our call to keep this lifeline service in public hands
Carol wishes retiring MSP Adam Ingram well for the future
Read Carol's interview for Carrick Gazette
Keir Hardie 100 years on
Coal restoration
Cumnock Campus killed off
Carol issues Tax Credit challenge to SNP candidate
Carol's Motion to Scottish Labour Party Conference
SNP Government cut local services
Three highlights of Osborne's Autumn Statement
Working with Barnardo's for Christmas
Flooding
Fuel Poverty
Donald Trump and Turnberry
Young Labour
Stop SNP cuts to schools and vital public services
No to Fracking
Biomass solution for abandoned opencast sites
Visit to Children1st Girvan
Scottish Young Labour in Girvan
Fair Start for our children
Offer for older voters
Workplace policies
It's personal
Carol at Coal Conference