Letter in support of Danielle Rowley

Monday December 9th 2019

Danielle-Rowley-Midlothian-Labour-General-Election-2019

Danielle Rowley, Midlothian’s Labour candidate. Photograph by Lee Live: Photographer

Midlothian View reader and Labour supporter Kelly Drumond has written a letter in support of Labour candidate Danielle Rowley.

Dear Sir,

After the hustings at St. John’s and Kings Park Church, Dalkeith and the Newbattle Abbey hustings it became ever more apparent that the only party that can bring around real change is the Labour Party and the only candidate for the job is Danielle Rowley.

Danielle has been a fantastic MP for Midlothian having aided over 4500 cases with an open-door policy. She has fought tirelessly for her community and the people in it. Having been announced as the most people powered MP in Scotland, will not surprise her constituents or the people she has helped.

Whilst I want real change from this election and to see the many inequalities and injustices in our society addressed, my main priority is the barbaric system that is universal credits. Being one of the first areas that universal credits was rolled out in, Midlothian has felt the pain and hardship inflicted by this so-called welfare service. A system that allows children to starve because their parents were late for an appointment. A system Which sees hardworking people forced into using foodbanks. Labour has always been in opposition to universal credits and called for the service to be scrapped.

At the hustings in Dalkeith I asked the question, how can the Tories answer to this? Would the candidates oppose this hostile system and fight for the abolishment of universal credit?

Whilst the Tory candidate had the audacity to say one of her top priorities would be casework. After having just listened to two former MP’s saying that a huge amount of their casework had been people turning up desperate for help and end to their universal credit nightmare. She carried on to say that the system worked. It was a lack of good old family values that had led to this crisis and peoples dependence on universal credit. This woman clearly has lost touch with reality. People are working their fingers to the bone in unsecured, low paid jobs and still having to choose between heating and food. How is anyone in crisis meant to feel comfortable going to someone who is going to tell them you’re wrong the system works, it’s just you don’t work hard enough. Appalling.

As for the SNP candidate, whilst answering the question with compassion and insistence that his party would back the abolishment of universal credit, I have major concerns with this.

The SNP had the opportunity of welfare services being fully devolved to Scottish Parliament but chose for them to remain at Westminster. They could have changed the system themselves, after all in an independent Scotland they would have had to do this. But instead they handed the powers back to the creators of universal credit. The SNP had the ability to raise child benefit and raise thousands of families out of poverty. Whilst one in four children in Scotland are living in poverty and rising, the SNP have sat on their hands. How are we meant to trust them with this if they are elected to Westminster when they have had the power in Scotland and handed it back or failed to use it?

Danielle Rowley stood out head and shoulders above the other candidates at the hustings. Labour will abolish the horrific and inhumane system of universal credit that has caused destruction in so many people’s lives. Its time for an end to this system. It’s time for a fairer society which cares for everybody. Its time for a Labour government.

Yours sincerely,

Kelly Drummond

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