Voter guide for Glasgow South: your questions answered by candidates
This election, we wanted to ensure that the conversation was not dominated by what candidates/parties wanted to speak about, but by what people living locally actually care about. So we asked you: what do you want candidates to be talking about as they compete for votes. Here’s are the responses we had from Glasgow South candidates.
This election, we wanted to ensure that the conversation was not dominated by what candidates/parties wanted to speak about, but by what people living locally actually care about. So we asked you: what do you want candidates to be talking about as they compete for votes.
We want to change the power dynamic so that candidates answer to citizens on the subjects that really matter to them, as opposed to the agenda the politicians themselves set out. We want to change that and set an example to other media to do the same.
We did this through an online survey, at public events, on social media and out in the streets. We then analysed the responses and created the following set of questions.
With supermarket profits through the roof, what will you do to address the food insecurity and widespread food poverty that many people living in the local area face?
Child poverty remains high across Scotland, including in some parts of Glasgow South. What will you and your party do to address this stark inequality
Currently, some private renters in the Southside are facing extortionate rises and other unfair demands. What will you do to stop tenant exploitation?
How do you plan to support constituents with the ongoing cost of living crisis? And would you support energy bill subsidies to help constituents with the cost of heating their homes?
What is your stance on Palestine and the sale of arms to Israel? How will you work to promote peaceful resolution?
Are you committed to promoting safe and legal migration routes for asylum seekers? And what are your thoughts on the hostile environment policy?
How do you plan to address the climate crisis and combat environmental degradation in the UK? And what action do you plan to take to meet the UK’s net zero targets by 2050?
What will you do to encourage more government support for independent, community-based media like Greater Govanhill?
The candidates in Glasgow South…
Dhruva Kumar – Alba Party (no response yet)
Haroun Malik – Conservative and Unionist Party (no response yet)
Danny Raja – Reform UK (no response yet)
Their answers to your questions…
Niall Christie (Scottish Greens)
On food insecurity
The first thing to tackle here is the massive importance of Brexit in this discussion. That's massively been overlooked and I don't think we'll hear anyone else talking about that. The Scottish Greens would also tackle this by capping food prices during peaks of inflation. Over the last year, we've seen huge increases in food prices, largely on goods at the bottom end of the scale, things that people need to get by, not luxury goods. They've largely stayed the same, which means the super-rich and well-off have remained comfortable through this entire cost of living crisis. That’s unacceptable. The Scottish Greens would cap that. Producers would still get the same amount of money they’re getting at the moment, and when it comes to inflation, they would be paid accordingly. But large distribution companies and large supermarkets would have to foot the bill for that, which would mean caps would be in place and would protect consumers, protect ordinary people in Glasgow South and across the UK.
On child poverty
The Scottish Greens entirely think that poverty, and child poverty in particular, should be a thing of the past. It's absolutely atrocious that in a country which has massive amounts of millionaires and massive amounts of wealth squirrelled away in assets and private companies, we have children who go to bed hungry at night, live in cold homes, and some who don't have homes at all. It's absolutely atrocious, and fundamentally that comes down to public services, but it also comes down to cash and redistribution of wealth. The Scottish Greens are the only party here who are offering more money in ordinary people's pockets. That's through massive increases to benefits, and the way to fund that is quite simply to tax the rich.
If you [have assets] over 3.4 million pounds, we would be asking that you pay a bit more through a wealth tax that we want to introduce. And if you earn more than that, it goes up incrementally as a result. In Scotland, we've got a system of progressive taxation that has been brought in massively, thanks to the Scottish Greens pushing the SNP in the right direction. Huge amounts of money could be raised at Westminster if whoever gets in next week, most likely Labour, follows the same. But we're not hearing that from them.
On the rental crisis
Housing is devolved to Scotland, so at this election, there is a limit to what we can do. I do think there are some issues, though. House building is a massive one. When I say house building, I don't mean mansions and private housing. What we need is huge amounts of social housing to try and alleviate the pressure on the private rental sector. In Glasgow South, I own a house now, but up until a couple of years ago, I was in the rented sector in Shawlands, and I know the exact issues that everyone here is facing. Our rent went through the roof, and we were lucky enough to be able to buy, but most people aren't in that position.
I think this is twofold. One is I will happily support and do support, and I'm a member of tenants' organisations like Living Rent and others, to make sure that tenants have a voice. The other thing is that the housing bill, which is going through the Scottish Parliament now, could be transformational for private renters in Scotland, but it's looking like it's going to be watered down by an SNP who kicked the Scottish Greens out of government earlier this year.
Labour aren't going to stand up for tenants' rights, the Tories aren't going to stand up for tenants' rights. What we need to have is strong voices, and that means Greens in Holyrood and also Greens in Westminster, who can make sure that if a Labour government is building houses, it isn't for the super-rich and it isn't for people who are just wanting a cosier lifestyle. It is for people desperately needing a roof over their heads.
On the cost of living
The cost of living crisis comes in two parts. The first part is what we would do to support constituents. Simply, would I support an energy bill subsidy to help constituents heat their homes? Absolutely. Heating bills and gas and electricity should absolutely be capped already. We've already seen the massive profits energy companies have. As for how we deal with that, it comes down to taxing the rich. In this case, it isn't rich individuals, it's rich companies who have huge profits that have paid out dividends to their shareholders over recent years, while everyone here in Glasgow South is paying more taxes, and through the nose, or simply some people can't afford to heat their homes. It's absolutely unacceptable.
In terms of alleviating pressure during the cost of living crisis, there are a number of factors but again it comes down to having more money in the economy and being able to support people and have better public services and better-paid jobs. Minimum wage should be massively increased. It should be at least a living wage, if not 15 pounds an hour. That’s little to ask for and should be brought into play immediately. But it comes about through progressive taxation and making sure that public services are actually helpful because the more public services we have the better. Other things that would help would be the nationalisation of an energy grid or a Great British energy company which Labour says they're offering and they’re not – al that is is a PFI [private finance initiative] scheme.
On Palestine
This is a really important question in my view. I think that the genocide going on in Palestine, and it is a genocide, is the fundamental deliberate killing of an entire race of people. It’s absolutely disgusting, and Netanyahu should be in The Hague being tried for war crimes. We are complicit in that though. The sale of arms to Israel should be stopped immediately. Licenses should be cut. I would like to see some sort of workers’ revolt in the same way that we saw workers standing up in East Kilbride to Pinochet's Chile. The same could happen in Scotland, and I hope that we see that. I'm a trade unionist, and I hope that members of Unite and members of other trade unions take heed.
The Scottish Government provided millions of pounds to companies who provide arms to Israel in recent years. That needs to stop as well. We need to hold the UK government to account here, but the Scottish Government, which is SNP-led, absolutely need to be held to account on this as well. Any discussion and who you vote for next week should be considered when it comes to Palestine. That should be one of the top issues on people's minds.
On asylum seekers and the hostile environment
The disgusting rhetoric in the media demonises migrants and asylum seekers as people here to leech off of us. They absolutely are not. You're much more likely to be seen by an immigrant in a GP surgery than you are to see an immigrant using any kind of service like that. They hold up our public services. They are the only reason we have an NHS and a public school system that just about functions. It’s horrific that the Labour government, the Tory government, and even the Lib Dems are getting involved in trying to put a cap on immigration. That's horrific, and I think we'll just see that continue to rise as we've seen with the rise of the far right in the UK, which has been legitimised by the way that Labour and the Tories have run this election.
The Scottish Greens would scrap the Home Office. It’s a racist institution. It needs to go and it should be replaced by a fairer asylum system where people can come here and live safely and be welcomed by communities that they're in. That means working with the third sector, working with local councils to make sure that local services are adequate for people who were born here and live here all their lives and people who’ve come here seeking help.
On the climate crisis
It’s no surprise that the Greens have some big ideas on this. Everyone knows the climate emergency is a massive deal, and rather than saying maybe we should still let oil and gas be pumped out of the North Sea, maybe we should still let big companies take some money, absolutely not. The planet is burning and we need action now. What we should have is 28 billion pounds a year pumped straight into the economy to fund a Green New Deal. You'll notice that that's roughly the same amount of money that Labour have rolled back on in recent weeks and months. They don't care about the environment; the Scottish Greens do, and the Greens everywhere across the UK know that the environment is a huge priority for the public.
We'd also like to implement a number of environmental taxes. A carbon land tax, incineration tax, scrapping tax relief on North Sea extraction, which over the next three years will cost us 18.1 billion pounds before 2026. We want a massive windfall tax on energy companies, not like the one we've got at the moment. We need to close all of those loopholes. We need to ban fossil fuel ads and require damages to be paid for all of the huge damage that's been done to our environment in recent decades. We also want to tax private jets and ban short haul flights because fundamentally we don't need those. Those are the purview of the super-rich and ordinary people don't benefit from that, and all of that money can go back into public services, public transport, and nationalising our rail services. That's a much better system. Lastly, a frequent flyer levy would be very important, so we would increase it 1%.
On supporting independent media
Local and community media isn't being funded at the moment. It's been down to ordinary people and volunteers to keep things running. Greater Govanhill is an excellent example of that, and kudos to the work you do. I read the free example every month I pick up in Mount Florida, and it's fantastic. The Scottish Greens would bring in a Scottish Media Authority. That would mean that channels like GB News, TalkTV, and other large companies with massive pots of money behind them with tiny audiences and no community ownership or community interest in mind, would be properly policed. Freedom of speech is a massive thing, but also editorial standards need to be improved
Stewart McDonald (Scottish National Party)
On food insecurity
Food insecurity is a huge issue, and it’s not always just about price but availability. Castlemilk in the south of this constituency has yet to have a local supermarket. I’ve been working to try and secure this for some time, and I’m hopeful we can. Everyone deserves access to affordable, fresh and good quality food. That's why I support a national strategy for reducing food insecurity in communities across the country.
On child poverty
Child poverty remains a scourge on our society. The SNP has already introduced the Scottish Child Payment, which has lifted over 100,000 children out of poverty across Scotland. The next step I want to see the UK Government take is to lift the two-child benefit cap, which is responsible for keeping thousands more children in poverty. That will be a priority for me if re-elected on Thursday.
On the rental crisis
Bullies, bad employers and bad landlords are the top 3 things I hate. Tenant exploitation isn’t just about rent, but conditions and quality. Although housing policy is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, I work with MSPs to improve the rented sector and always support any constituent suffering at the hands of a rogue landlord.
On the cost of living
This is the top issue when I chap doors and has been the top issue at my local surgeries for months. The SNP want to see a new social tariff introduced for things like energy, broadband and other household essentials such as food. We need to get food inflation under control, but also ensure supermarkets, in particular, aren’t ripping people off.
On Palestine
I have long been a friend of Palestine. I was pleased to be sworn in as an MP 9 years ago wearing the Palestine flag on my lapel, as a mark of solidarity, and was awarded by the Palestinian Union of Students for my work. We must see the suspension of arms to Israel, an immediate ceasefire, and a lasting peace for Palestine and Israel. Those responsible for the atrocities must be held to account, and the military occupation of Palestine must end.
On asylum seekers and the Hostile Environment
Yes. I am passionately pro-immigration. Immigration makes our country more prosperous and those arguing against are arguing to make our country poorer. People should not be at the behest of people smuggling gangs that result in dangerous boat crossings. Safe and legal routes must be an urgent priority for the next government and I will press that case if elected.
Gordon McKee (Labour)
On food insecurity
To help tackle food poverty we’ll make work pay and end the insecure work which has left millions of people struggling to make ends meet. To help provide food security we’ll introduce a new deal for farmers which will prevent farmers being exposed to low quality imports which are undercutting them. Our New Deal will include
Seek a veterinary agreement with the European Union: to cut red tape and costs at our borders and get our great British food exports moving again.
Ensure at least half of all food in hospitals, schools and prisons is British: use the government’s own purchasing power to back British produce with local or sustainably produced food.
Turn on GB Energy: a new publicly owned energy company that will harness clean home-grown British power to deliver cheaper bills for farmers.
On child poverty
Tackling child poverty is one of the reasons I joined the Labour Party and why I’m standing as a Labour candidate. Right now, around a third of kids are growing up in poverty in the Southside. That’s after 14 years of Tory government, and 17 years of the SNP. Most households with children in poverty have at least one parent in work. That’s as a result of the low pay, low growth economy that has been created. Labour will change that. Our New Deal for Working People will be the biggest boost to workers’ rights in a generation and the purpose of it is to make work pay. Our plan will end the pattern of insecure work and low pay by promoting collective bargaining, ending fire and rehire and banning exploitative zero hours contracts. Altogether, we’ll give 200,000 Scots a pay rise and our manifesto rightly commits us to setting out a comprehensive child poverty strategy. The last Labour government lifted more kids out of poverty than any other, and I know the next Labour government will help do that too.
On the rental crisis
Housing is of course devolved, but as the MP for Glasgow South I will fight against exploitative rent rises. The only long term solution to the housing crisis is a program of mass house building. The Labour Government will build 1.5 million homes in the rest of the UK, and I’ll fight for enormous housebuilding in Scotland as your MP.
On the cost of living
The cost of living is one of the biggest issues facing people in the Southside. Our New Deal for Working People will end the spiral of low pay which has caused misery for millions across Britain. We’ll also introduce a proper windfall tax on the oil and gas giants, who have made excess profits while working people pay the highest energy bills in a generation. We’ll also set up GB Energy, a publicly owned energy company headquartered in Scotland. That will invest in renewable energy to provide energy security – so we’re not going cap in hand around the world – and to bring down bills by earning a profit for the taxpayer, not private shareholders.
On Palestine
I believe there must be a ceasefire in Gaza immediately. Not long before the election was called, I met with Palestine Ambassador Zomlot – link here – and reiterated with position on a ceasefire with him. I also heard from the ambassador some of the details of the horrific events that have unfolded. As your MP I will do all that I can to call for an end to the violence, no more civilian deaths, the release of the hostages and a two state solution with a viable Palestinian state. I believe the ICJ must be respected by Israel and the rest of the world, and there should be immediate access for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
On asylum seekers and the Hostile Environment
Refugees fleeing the most horrendous of conditions deserve protection and security. We’ll work with our European partners to get functioning agreements in place, and as your MP I will be a voice of reason on this debate which I think has become very unreasonable – and has led to the most vulnerable people in the world being treated appallingly. We must and will take a different path from the Tories who have sought to stigmatise refugees. I want to see settlement routes reformed to include for example a clearer process for refugees with family connections in the UK to be considered for resettlement in a much more timely way.
On the climate crisis
Our Green Prosperity Plan will be transformative in helping to meet out climate obligations. Our proposals include:
The establishment of publicly-owned GB Energy Company based here in Scotland.
The creation of over 69,000 new jobs in clean energy industries
A National Wealth Fund delivering the most significant investment in the history of Scotland’s energy industry.
A British Jobs Bonus fund to incentivise job creation in energy heartlands in Scotland.
Upgrades to Scottish ports such as at the Forth and Tay and the North East.
Investment in a net-zero industrial cluster at Grangemouth and support for linked carbon capture and storage projects.
Over 1,000 locally-owned power projects.
A commitment to upgrade hundreds of thousands of cold draughty homes in Scotland.
Plans to cut household energy bills by hundreds of pounds a year.
Altogether this will help deliver zero carbon electricity by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
On supporting independent media
I want to see a diverse media landscape that includes independent community based publications, and look forward to working with Greater Govanhill if elected as the Member of Parliament for Glasgow South.
Peter McLaughlin (Liberal Democrats)
On food insecurity
The UK’s food system is failing to serve the interests of citizens. Too many families simply can’t afford enough healthy, nutritious food. We will introduce a holistic and comprehensive National Food Strategy to ensure food security, tackle rising food prices, end food poverty and improve health and nutrition.
On child poverty
The Liberal Democrats would immediately remove the two-child limit and scrap the benefits cap, which are the cause of so much unnecessary suffering and major contributors to child poverty. Into the longer term, we want to see an independent commission established that would recommend further annual increases in Universal Credit, to ensure that support covers life's essentials and remove decisions over uplifts from the realm of short-term political calculations.
On the rental crisis
There is a significant shortage of housing in the Southside, the rest of Glasgow, and indeed the UK as a whole. Bidding wars over scarce homes push rents up beyond what is affordable for many; hundreds of people become homeless in Glasgow every month. What protections do exist are often just ignored by landlords who know tenants have few options. The only sustainable solution is to give tenants options again by building over a million homes, including hundreds of thousands of social homes, across the UK in the next parliament. When tenants have real, affordable options, they will not have to accept the terms dictated by exploitative landlords.
On the cost of living
An emergency insulation and retrofit programme should be undertaken across the whole UK, starting with free insulation and heat pumps for those on low incomes, with the UK Government working in partnership with the Scottish Government to provide resources. Rapidly increasing the energy efficiency of our homes and businesses will cut both bills and carbon emissions, as will longer-term action to wean ourselves off reliance on imported oil and gas. The Liberal Democrats will also introduce a social tariff for the most vulnerable to provide targeted energy discounts for households who need it.
On Palestine
The Liberal Democrats have consistently called for a ceasefire since Israel's decision to respond to Hamas' terrorist attacks with a criminal attack on the innocent civilian population in Gaza. We want to suspend current arms export licences to Israel and grant no new licences. Military action will never remove Hamas from Gaza or establish peace; the only workable approach is a diplomatic push towards a two-state solution based on 1967 borders, including officially recognising the state of Palestine with immediate effect.
On asylum seekers and the Hostile Environment
The hostile environment is a moral stain on this country. The Liberal Democrats will end the policy, scrap the Tories' Illegal Migration Act and their Rwanda scheme, uphold the Refugee Convention, and provide safe and legal routes to sanctuary for refugees, helping to prevent dangerous Channel crossings. We will also lift the ban on asylum seekers working if they have been waiting for a decision for more than three months, enabling them to support themselves, integrate in their communities and contribute to the economy.
How do you plan to address the climate crisis and combat environmental degradation in the UK? And what action do you plan to take to meet the UK’s net zero targets by 2050?
Neither the UK nor Scottish Governments are doing enough to meet vital targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Liberal Democrats are committed to cutting emissions to net zero by 2045 at the latest, and we will take the bold, urgent action necessary. Together with innovative British businesses, we will make the UK the world leader in the clean technologies of the future, and put tackling climate change at the heart of a new industrial strategy. We will cut emissions and bills with an emergency Home Energy Upgrade programme. We will drive a rooftop solar revolution and invest in clean energy, transport and industry. We will restore nature and tackle toxic air pollution. And we will ensure skills training, incentives and advice are available to help families and businesses with the transition to net zero.
What will you do to encourage more government support for independent, community-based media like Greater Govanhill?
It's more important than ever to support independent media, which supports communities and helps hold representatives to account, especially as so many local media outfits are being shut or hollowed out by their profit-driven owners. We would support independent, Leveson-compliant regulation of media to ensure privacy, quality, diversity and choice in both print and online media. And we would boost funding for cultural and creative projects by applying to participate fully in Creative Europe.
Brian Smith (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition)
On food insecurity
Scottish TUSC supports publicly owned supermarkets providing high quality, low priced food. The current mega-supermarkets are run for the shareholders, not consumers. We also require proper national / regional plans for food production and distribution. These plans would be driven and controlled democratically by small producers, workers in the sector and consumers with the strategic objectives of sustainable production and protecting the environment.
On child poverty
The money, wealth and resources are there to address child poverty. Scottish TUSC would introduce a new wealth tax on the 350 billionaires in the UK who have a combined wealth of £800 Billion. The Scottish Trade Union Congress has also recently published a report which shows that around £3 Billion could be raised now by the Scottish Government introducing new progressive taxes under the current powers of the Scottish Parliament. We would also bring into public ownership key elements of the UK economy under democratic control to ensure that resources are used to meet the needs of the majority rather than line the pockets of a few, and to keep the cost of energy and food down. Scottish TUSC would immediately introduce a £15 per hour minimum wage for all workers plus a benefits system based on actual need with increases related to rises in the minimum wage. We would scrap benefit sanctions and the housing benefit cap. We would end the two-child benefit limit. We call for massive public sector investment to create jobs that are socially useful, with strong trade union rights and wages.
On the rental crisis
The rights of private renters should be increased including having enforceable rent controls tied to the property, not the tenancy. There should also be greater protection from eviction. We’ll see if the Scottish Government’s current Housing Bill delivers; from experience it may disappoint. Scottish TUSC will continue to campaign for an acceptable set of legal rights for private renters. More generally, Scottish TUSC supports a massive programme of council house building and proper rent controls in all sectors. The Scottish and UK Governments housing spending must reflect the housing emergency we are now in. We need a socialist housing plan. This could include the renovation of existing property and compulsory purchases from the private sector.
On the cost of living
Scottish TUSC would introduce a £15 per hour minimum wage, and all wages should keep pace with inflation through national, sectoral trade union agreements across the economy. Social security benefits must be based on actual need. The state pension should be raised to at least £350 per week for a single person. We also support publicly owned supermarkets providing high quality, low priced food and free public transport for all. Scottish TUSC calls for the public ownership, under democratic control, of energy production, distribution and supply. This would eliminate the profit-making vultures from the arrangements and significantly reduce energy bills. Any compensation to current shareholders would only be on the basis of proven need. During any transition, we would support government subsidies to help keep household energy bills down.
On Palestine
Scottish TUSC demands an end to the siege of Gaza and the permanent withdrawal of the Israeli military from the occupied territories. There should be no sale of arms by the UK Government to the Israeli right-wing government. We support workers’ and trade union action to block the export of military technology to the Israeli state. The UK Government should immediately recognise Palestine as a state. Based on bitter experience there seems little hope that any of the current capitalist, right-wing governments, parties and organisations in the region will be able to bring about a permanent peace. Scottish TUSC support the building of mass working class movements as the basis of ending war and oppression. We support the building of independent workers parties in Palestine and Israel, and links between them, as a route to establish an independent socialist Palestinian state alongside a socialist Israel, with guaranteed rights for all minorities.
On asylum seekers and the Hostile Environment
Scottish TUSC defends the right to asylum, and supports a system free from racist controls. There must be safe routes for those seeking asylum in the UK and for their circumstances to be considered in a transparent, supportive and timely way. Asylum seekers should have the right to work and access to public services. Those seeking asylum are often scapegoated by the current capitalist politicians as a means to deflect from their decisions not to adequately invest in the NHS, social care and housing for decades. They prioritise bigger profits and more wealth for the few over the many. The use of such divide and rule tactics by powerful elites has a long history and Scottish TUSC will continue to expose them for what they are.
On the climate crisis
The current capitalist free market, profit system is the driver of climate change and environmental destruction. It cannot be part of the solution. Asking the global oil and gas multi-national companies to lead a “just transition” is out of the question. Scottish TUSC would take the big energy companies into public ownership and invest in a publicly-owned renewables sector. We would prioritise major research and investment in replacing fossil fuels and nuclear power, and work with the energy sector trade unions to agree a plan which actually delivers a “just transition” that creates new well paid jobs, utilises current skills, supports the workforce and of course delivers on the climate change targets. Scottish TUSC opposes fracking. We need a collectivist approach to tackling climate change, not consumer taxes on individuals. For example, Scottish TUSC supports returning buses to municipal ownership and free public transport for all to support a reduction in car use. Tackling the climate crisis demonstrates once again the need to build a new mass party of the working class, with a bold socialist programme.
On supporting independent media
Scottish TUSC supports a publicly funded, independent media free from the influence and control of big business funders and advertisers. Community based media organisations have an important role to play including through debating local issues, giving a voice to neighbourhood campaigns and highlighting how national issues impact particular communities. Scottish TUSC would argue for better access to public funding for community based media organisations, and whilst one-off type funding may be appropriate in some cases it seems to us that proper guaranteed, long-term funding is a better model.