SNP CHALLENGED ON THE ORANGE ORDER AND THEY GO IN TO HIDING.

Since I wrote the article on the Orange Order I have received 5 replies.  I printed 2 and pointed out to them that they had completely ignored my points and substituted argument with abuse. The next three I did not print because none of them addressed any of the points I made in the article either. Not much of a response from such an apparently hot subject. It looks like I got it spot on. All 5 were of course anonymous which tends to happen when you are dealing with cowards.    

WHO ARE THE REAL PHILISTINES, THE ORANGE ORDER OR THE SNP?.

Having found it impossible to get The Glasgow Herald to print my posts on this subject, I decided to give up and write it here. 

Once again we are seeing the now habitual outburst of synthetic rage from the snp directed at the Orange Order. This is interesting when you consider that they criticise them for being anti Catholic when the snp themselves were founded as an anti Catholic group to save the loyal protestant people of Scotland from the threat to their religious beliefs and their protestant culture by the influx of the Irish peasants who arrived here to flee the famine in Ireland and brought their Roman Catholic religion with them. The real cause of their animosity to the Orange Order though has developed over recent years when they (the snp) perceived a danger to their ambition of independence because of the OO’s unyielding devotion to Britain and the British monarchy. Consider if you will that not so long ago the leadership of the snp ‘cheek by jowl’ with the OO tried to ban the then Polish Pope John II from visiting Scotland. Hypocrisy does not begin to describe them.

Many of these snp members and supporters want to proscribe the OO, the reasons? They cause trouble, they are not part of Scotland’s culture and most importantly, the snp don’t like them. Their narrative is now highlighted by their decidedly subjective version of the trouble which happened in George Square just after the referendum. We have seen examples of this kind of behaviour before, when organisations have their democratic rights taken away from them we are living in a dictatorship and images of Mussolini, Franco and Hitler come to mind.  The Orange Order is a legal organisation and is entitled to the same treatment as any other legal organisation and that is exactly as it should be. We do not live in a society that bans organisations because some people don't like them, at least not yet we don't. The snp really need to choose their words more carefully, I am bigoted against racism, sectarianism, fascism, homophobia etc. and I am proud to say that, should I and others like me be banned as well by the snp?. The only way an Orange or any other kind of parade or demonstration can be banned is on the grounds of safety and law and order and that is the responsibility of the Police and crowd control professionals. Given that the average Celtic Rangers match produces enough safety and law and order problems to make the Orange Order supporters behaviour pale in to insignificance how would the powers that be justify banning an Orange Parade and allowing an Old Firm match?.

As for the OO not being part of Scotland’s culture is concerned, that can mean anything you want it to mean, when Herman Goering who wasn’t a holiday camp comedian said “when I hear the word culture I reach for my revolver” he was saying ‘’we will decide what German culture is’’ he would have been a supporter of the snp’s attitude to free speech and democracy.  I ask are the snp custodians of Scottish culture? Do they decide what is and isn’t Scottish culture? This is a glimpse through the tartan specs at what the future might hold for a more powerful snp.  

The OO go back a long way, certainly a lot further back than the snp and their members fought and died to save democracy in WW2 while the snp were trying to undermine the struggle against Hitler and the nazis and they do have their own history and culture, you may not be impressed by it but it does exist. My own Irish Catholic Celtic supporting background did not prevent me from learning about these events which date back to the late 17th century through the Battle of the Boyne and The Siege of Derry and the Siege of Cork and much more, I found it fascinating and still do whether you dear reader or other snp supporters like it or not it undoubtedly plays a huge part in British political and cultural history. The snp have their history and culture as well, it starts with anti Irish / English racism and anti Catholic sectarianism all the way up to marching beside Flemish Nazis at Calton Hill Edinburgh in 2014 and on to street violence all through the referendum and the disruption of political meetings. My surprise is that the more excitable Orange loyalists did not confront them long before they did. Democratic rights and freedoms are precious and constant vigilance is the price we pay to protect them. 

IF THERE IS SUCH A THING AS AN SNP MEMBER WITH A SHRED OF HONESTY AND AN OUNCE OF BACKBONE, CAN HE/SHE ANSWER THIS POST FOR ME?.

Am I getting this right?

Between 2007 and 2011 the tories kept the snp minority government in power at Holyrood. The snp and alex salmond are now going to join the tories in an alliance to keep the UK in the European Union in the upcoming EU Referendum.

During the Scottish independence referendum however, Labour, Tories and BTW The Communist Party were on the same side and supported a NO vote. This was described by the snp as “getting in to bed with the tories”. The question now becomes rather obvious does it not? are the snp now “getting in to bed with the tories” when they join them in the EU referendum?. 

I should not really need to ask this question but I don’t think there is an snp member with the honesty or the courage to ask it for me. Any takers?.  

URGE YOUR MP TO MAKE 2015-2020 THE PARLIAMENT OF CHANGE FOR PALESTINE.

16 May 2015

The next five years will see a number of important anniversaries for Palestine: The 100 year anniversary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration; 50 years since the start of the Israeli occupation in 1967; and the 70^th anniversary of the Nakba. With a new government in place in the UK, and growing support for the recognition of the Palestinian State, we have the opportunity to make 2015 – 2020 the Parliament of change for the UK’s dealings with Israel and Palestine.

You can help by emailing or writing to your MP and asking them to ensure that they ensure that the health and dignity of Palestinians, a recognition of Palestinian statehood, and a just settlement for Palestinian refugees is put at the heart of British foreign policy in relations with Israel and Palestine for the coming Parliament.

Contact your MP

You can find your MP's contact details here, and a suggested text for you to amend is below. Please do let us know if you get any responses - info@map-uk.org.

Dear [MP NAME]

 I am a constituent of yours living at [YOUR ADDRESS]. I would like to [welcome you/welcome you back] to your role as MP for [YOUR CONSTITUENCY].

The UK election result, coming just days after confirmation of the new ruling right-wing coalition in Israel, highlighted the important role of the UK in its relations with Israel. Last March, in an effort to capitalise on divisions and insecurities within Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed a Palestinian state is “no longer relevant” and re-stated his belief that "anyone who moves to establish a Palestinian state and evacuate territory gives territory away to radical Islamist attacks against Israel." These statements are in direct contravention of the only internationally recognised path to peace.

It is undeniable at this time that the two-state solution, and the peace process as a result, is under threat. Spiralling conflict in the region and the ongoing occupation of Palestine is increasing the pressure on the delivery of healthcare in Palestine, as well as for Palestinians living as refugees, and is putting both Palestinians and Israelis in an increasingly insecure situation. UK recognition of the State of Palestine is an essential first step towards bringing the UK in line with the majority of states around the world, enabling discussions to take place on an equal footing, reducing tensions and pushing for constructive, lasting peace talks.

Last year 274 MPs gave a clear statement of support for UK recognition of the state of Palestine by supporting a motion in Parliament to urge the government to “recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel” as part of a “contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution.” This continuing trend before the election among Prospective Parliamentary Candidates and the inclusion of pledges in all party manifestos on this issue, makes clear that recognition of the State of Palestine must be one of the first priorities for the next government.

It is essential for the UK, as a key power in Europe and therefore with substantial influence in Quartet discussions, to once and for all recognise the State of Palestine in order to prevent a backward slide away from peace.

In addition to the urgency of UK recognition of the State of Palestine, at the end of the last Parliament, 101 MPs signed EDM 827 calling for Parliamentary access into Gaza as a requirement for accountable UK aid spending and informed debate in Parliament. The 2014 Gaza War greatly exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the recovery has simply not happened. Gaza relies on British and international aid agencies for food, water and housing needs and the most recent figures show that more than 100,000 people are still internally displaced and not a single home has been rebuilt.

I urge you as my representative in Parliament to make the health and dignity of Palestinians one of your priorities for this Parliament and to visit Palestine and learn more about this issue through the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group.

Your sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

INFORMATION ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LABOUR's JIM SHERIDAN AND HIS SNP OPPONENT.

Labour candidate for Paisley North Jim Sheridan is an ex trade Union shop steward in the shipyards.

SNP candidate Gavin Newlands is a MANAGER with McDonalds the famous Fast food exploiters of workers.

The working class people of Paisley North must do the right thing and vote for Jim Sheridan.  

The GMB Union in Scotland carried out an analysis of the occupational background of SNP candidates for the general election and the party’s MSPs and MEPs, only to find over 90 per cent came from the top three groupings — manager, director and senior official, professional and associate professional and technical.

GMB officer and blacklisted construction worker Mick Dooley asked: “Who will represent Scotland’s workers if over 90 per cent of their elected members were to be drawn from the top three occupational groups?

“Not a single person is from the shop floor. How doesIT HELP to replace a former shop floor worker and union representative like Jim Sheridan with a senior exec from McDonald’s?”

“This examination of candidates shows they (the SNP) overwhelmingly represent the better off.”

VOTE LABOUR. 

"WE WILL NOT STOP FIGHTING FOR SCOTLAND AND SOCIAL JUSTICE" GORDON BROWN - MAY 5TH 2015.

We Will Not Stop Fighting for Scotland and Social Justice - Gordon Brown

We must stand up for the 71,000 Scots on food banks. The 80,000 Scots on zero-hours contracts. The 180,000 Scots on waiting lists who need the most basic of necessities, a decent home. We must give a voice to 200,000 children living in poverty, to the millions of Scots whose living standards are falling and whose NHS is suffering from neglect.

While the SNP talk only about deals, coalitions, pacts, tie-ins, hung parliaments and backroom negotiations, we will speak for the Scottish people, poverty, injustice, inequality, deprivation, the jewel in the crown of our welfare state our health service and a better future for the young people of our country. It is only a Labour Government that can: prevent food bank poverty; The Bedroom Tax; payday lenders. zero-hour contracts; NHS neglect, Tory austerity and the miseries they impose. The only Government that can deliver this change is a Labour Government. Even the SNP admit that a Labour Government is the best chance of change.  

We promise 1,000 more nurses, 500 more doctors, a youth employment guarantee. Undeliverable under a Tory Government, even with 59 SNP MPs. I know my fellow Scots are, like me, patriotic and  desperate for change. We want change today so we can live in a more socially just community

And I know too that the change that my fellow Scots and I are demanding is the greatest change of all - social justice - and that we are impatient and cannot wait for it: we want change today so we can live in a more socially just community as soon as tomorrow.  We promise a commitment to the sharing of resources across these islands – from each according to his capacity, to each according to his need, and our commitment to the principles of cooperation and solidarity that underlie this sharing is at the heart of everything we do. And while they talk about social justice, the SNP can never bring themselves to accept the sharing that is the means to secure social justice,

We believe in sharing across the whole of the country. only Labour led the way to the creation of the NHS, giving rights to free and universal care to all who are in need irrespective of nationality or ability to pay – a NHS that today for the very same reason is safe only in Labour’s hands. As is the UK-wide welfare state, Scottish Labour led the way to a minimum wage across the whole of the UK. These are the reasons why there can be no deal, no tie-in, no arrangement and no compromise with an SNP. The nationalist’s advance the cause of a separate state, while Labour advance the cause of social justice. Their aim is a second divisive referendum, our aim is a fair economy.

It cannot be right to argue that the easiest way to get Labour into government is to vote against the. The snp say that they want a Labour Government but refuse to advise Tories in England to vote Labour that is simply dishonest. The SNP the English to vote Liberal Democrat in 2010, and when they actually did use their bloc vote in Westminster they did not use it to save a labour Government to destroy a labour Government in 1979. The SNP prefer misery under the Tories to pursue their obsession of separation the one time they used their bloc vote in Westminster to effect change was not to save but to destroy a Labour Government in 1979. We know that the SNP prefer people dissatisfied under a Conservative Government than people satisfied under a Labour Government.

It aint rocket science, the more Labour MPs we have the more we have a chance of being in government.

We were born against the odds. We grew against the odds. M We created the NHS against the odds. We created the welfare state against the odds. We created the right to work against the odds. We delivered a minimum wage against the odds. We have spent our whole lives fighting for people whose lives are lived against the odds. And we will fight, fight and fight whatever the odds.

And I say to those who feel the pain of others and who believe in something bigger than ourselves: we know that when the strong help the weak it makes us all stronger. I say there are millions like you who cannot be truly happy when others are sad, who cannot be at ease when millions are ill at ease, who cannot feel fully secure with so many insecure, and who cannot be comfortable when so many are without comfort.

And so I give you my view. The independence people really want is independence from poverty. The liberation people really want is liberation from deprivation and unemployment. And the freedom people really want is freedom from all forms of injustice and inequality.

The starting point is on Thursday: voting Labour, electing Labour MPs and securing a Labour Government. Don’t be taken in, the SNP want the Tories to win, don’t let them. 

"facts are chiels that winna ding" An SNP truth teller, what next.

Scottish Labour Provan

Another SNP parliamentary candidate joins our very own Natalie McGarry in being honest with the Scottish electorate - SNP plans mean MORE austerity, not less.

CLEAR CUT REASONS FOR VOTING LABOUR.

Neil Findlay Labour MSP.

So for those who lazily suggest or deliberately tell lies and say there is no difference between Labour and the Tories and that the SNP are progressive then here are just a few of the very positive reasons for voting Labour:-
Labour will introduce a 50p tax rate on the rich – the Tories want to cut taxes for the rich
Labour will tax the bonuses of bankers to help young people back to work – the Tories won’t, the SNP can’t
Labour will introduce a mansion tax to pay for more nurses – the Tories and the SNP won’t
Labour will guarantee a paid job or training for all young people out of work for a year and older people out of work for two years – The Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will have a £1600 future fund for every young person not in an MA at College of University – The Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will guarantee the Barnett Formula – the Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will increase bursaries by £1000 for the poorest students – The Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will abolish employment tribunal fees – The Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will ban exploitative zero hours contracts – the Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will invest £175 million in Scotland to end the need for foodbanks – the Tories and the SNP won’t 
Labour will cap energy bills and private landlords ripping off tenants – The Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will extend the Living wage through public procurement – the Tories won’t the SNP have failed
Labour will have an inquiry into Blacklisting of workers – The Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will hold a review of the convictions of miners arrested in Scotland during the strike – The Tories and SNP won’t 
Labour will introduce free bus travel for apprentices – the Tories and SNP won’t.

SNP Is Not As Left As It Seems

---

APR
2015

Thursday 30^TH

posted by Morning Star in Editorial

Over the last two years the SNP's  rhetoric has shifted sharply left to win Labour heartlands, often in areas where Labour councils have, without protest, imposed the cuts handed on by the SNP government in Holyrood.

But there is also a contradiction.

Labour's policies today are to the left of the SNP's.

In terms of spending the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found the SNP programme require more cuts than Labour's.

Some of the SNP's signature left policies - such as restoring the 50 per cent tax rate on incomes above £150,000 and supporting all-women shortlists - are policies Labour has been signed up to for years. 

Labour is ahead of the SNP in terms of redistribution - lacking the nationalists' obsession with corporation tax cuts - and on commitments on workers' rights and the living wage.

Even on public-sector ownership, Labour's step in calling for a public-sector operator for rail transport is preferable to the SNP's eagerness to hand Scottish franchises to private monopolies.

The SNP  and other pro-independence forces to its left have actually concentrated their fire on left wing Labour MPs such as Katy Clark, Ian Davidson, Jim Sheridan - friends of our paper, our movement and our class.

The SNP has never claimed to be a class party. It is national in its aspirations. It happily deals with big business and the super-rich, from Brian Souter to Rupert Murdoch.

If it eliminates Labour north of the border it will only increase the likelihood of a Conservative government after next week.

This might well boost support for Scottish Independence. It would also spell disaster for working people in Scotland as well as England and Wales.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SNP RECORD.

DOES ANYONE GENUINELY STILL BELIEVE THE SNP RHETORIC?.

Over recent days the lies of the snp have been catching up with them, from saying they will stop austerity they are now saying austerity cannot be avoided. This is not however what they say when canvassing where they are still claiming that the snp will end austerity, this is a lie. The snp’s raison d’être is independence yet they are saying “this election is not about independence” are they confused or again lying?. Sturgeon states that she wants to support a Labour Government yet no one can find a single snp member or activist who can bring themselves to say they would support Labour, this is lies on an industrial scale. 

The snp activists want a Tory victory which will allow them to blame England for Scotland’s woes under the tories.  A fortnight ago the snp were labelling Labour as red tories and now they want to support our ‘progressive policies’ they want Ed Milliband as Prime Minister but are telling everyone not to vote Labour! They are treating people with contempt --- yet again.   

Meanwhile the low life fascist wing of the snp continue to use social media to abuse, bully and intimidate people who speak out against the snp. These tartanshirts also continue to claim that the referendum was a fix by the state despite their own party leadership accepting the result; these people are dangerous and sinister. The snp’s immediate response to it’s influx of new members was to immediately shackle them and prevent them from expressing an opinion by passing a vote at their recent conference which banned all members from expressing any dissent about snp policy, someone in the snp hierarchy has been boning up on German Nazi politics circa 1930’s.  

Contradictions (lies) abound such as “We want more millionaires, and any notion that an independent Scotland would be left-wing is delusional nonsense,” Jim Mather, the SNP’s Enterprise Minister in the 2007-11 SNP government. “we Scots. didn’t mind the economic side (of Thatcher) so much, but we didn’t like the social side at all.” Alex salmond. “ we need less bank regulation” Alex salmond just before the banking crash.

They (the snp) promised that the average price of a barrel of oil would remain at $113 until 2020. And within months it had slumped to less than $50. the SNP has increased private health spending by 47% since 2011 and is now running at £100 millions a year. 4,500 jobs in the NHS in Scotland have been cut, 2,000 of them nurses. The main architect of these NHS cuts? Nicola Sturgeon.

Council jobs and services have been decimated to allow the snp to buy tory votes by giving the rich tax breaks in the form of a local income tax freeze, corruption by another name.

Nationalism wants you to vote based on where you were born no matter the outcome, in this way they will be able to claim with patriotic fervour ‘well it’s rubbish but at least it’s good old Scottish rubbish”. Labour wants you to vote based on what is best for your class no matter where you were born.  

Every seat won by the snp will be cheered to the echo by the tories, be in no doubt about that. If the Labour party were to form a minority government they would be vulnerable to the single issue politics of the snp, politics which have no concern whatsoever to working class aspirations. DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN. 

VOTE FOR JIM SHERIDAN LABOUR PAISLEY AND RENFREWSHIRE NORTH AND DOUGLAS ALEXANDER LABOUR PAISLEY AND RENFREWSHIRE SOUTH.

LABOUR'S JIM SHERIDAN AND DOUGLAS ALEXANDER Are two of the most experienced politicians at Westminster, both have hard won reputations for being honest, diligent and local candidates who live in and know their constituencies. When you cast your vote for these two Labour politicians you can be sure that you are voting for two candidates who never cease fighting for their communities. Both embody the finest traditions of the Labour Party and the Trade Union Movement, you can rest assured that they will both fight to protect the gains which have been won by the Labour movement through the years and also fight tooth and nail to protect the people against the greed and selfishness of the Tories and the crude politics of hatred which the SNP are so associated with. Voting for Jim and Douglas means we will continue to have two Labour stalwarts with the dedication and know how to rebuild and repair the damage done by the Tories over the last 5 years.       

April 13Th. 20 15. Coordinated orchestrated attacks already coming in from the snp/separatist/cybernats as a result of the issuing of The Labour Manifesto today which you can find by searching this address. 

http://www.labour.org.uk/manifesto

The outbursts from this nationalist rabble are predictably abusive and full of squalid incoherent hatred . The thing which has created this "ferrets in a sack" reaction is the fact that the Manifesto and the changes it proposes are carefully costed and the snp by contrast are proposing more borrowing without saying how much and how they will pay back the money borrowed. When it comes to finances and economics this is looking like a rerun of the referendum. In fiscal matters they are being shown again to be utterly incompetent. Labour are showing a lead over the Tories UK wide, something that the snp have been telling us could not happen and that emphasises not only how untrustworthy they are but also their inept performance when it comes to financial affairs. The situation could hardly be graver nor the choice starker. If you want rid of the Tories the only way to do that is to vote Labour on General Election Day, every vote for the snp boosts the chances of Cameron and the Tories getting another 5 years.

                                   DON’T LET IT HAPPEN.             

THE SNP ARE FINDING OUT THAT THERE IS NO PLACE TO HIDE.

I have just listened to Nicola Sturgeon on TV, full of synthetic rage and refusing to comment on a question about the now famous leaked email where she declared her preference for a Tory government. She refused to answer because the questioner was quoting a high ranking snp official whom he would not name, who said that “a tory Government would be better for the snp”. News stories where the source is not disclosed are commonplace and no one exploits them more than the snp, this made her position on this look feeble and disingenuous. What people should mull over in all of this is what Nicola Sturgeon actually wants, I would suggest that her one and only wish is separation, does anyone disagree with me?.

Her position for that reason is apolitical and always has been, using plain language, she will do and say anything to achieve success for the “cause” this is why the snp were able to bring Thatcher to power all those years ago by bringing down the Labour Government, they and she can and will continue to justify anything by telling themselves that it is the “cause” that matters, a position which has been taken by despots and dictators throughout history. It follows therefore that she and they are neither pro or anti Labour, neither pro or anti Tory, she is pro separation. Would Sturgeon and the snp support a Tory Government if they thought that it would benefit separation, help the “cause”?, you better believe they would, they would support anyone.

The consensus among the news agencies and the political commentators backed up with polls and computer data was that no significant gains were made by any party following the leader’s debate, despite the snp attempts to declare Nicola Sturgeon the winner. The usual coordinated cybernat campaign to ‘big her up’ ran in to the ground because the rest of the UK was involved and they still stubbornly refuse to treat her and the snp as a ‘premier league team’. Her reputation was exposed as fragile when she tried to wrap herself in the cloak of opposition to privatisation of of the NHS, this was the big league though, and they remembered her tenure as Scottish Health Minister when she spent millions on private health spending. Her oft repeated sabre rattling about austerity as well was exposed and continues to be exposed as a deception through their  past absurd claims about oil prices being the backbone of an independent Scottish economy. One does not need to be a Nobel Economic Laureate to work out that reliance on oil and it’s price falling from the snp forecast of $130 a barrel to $50 a barrel would have caused an unprecedented economic collapse, with no England to blame for it either, the stuff that violent government coups are made of and our Polish, Asian and other minority communities would have felt the brunt of it. The nationalists “land of milk and honey” Norway has had to devalue the Krone by 35% because of the oil price crash. The cuts which would result in such a scenario would be far in excess of any austerity cuts proposed by a Labour government.

Sturgeon and her supporters seem to think that declaring a liking for children and a dislike for nuclear weapons will suffice as far as gathering votes is concerned. My guess is they are going to find that it is more complicated than that, they must be hoping that no one will bring up the actual attitude in Scotland to Trident which is not what they are telling people, the population I’m sure will see the obviously bogus position of making anti nuclear weapons a major plank of your policy while at the same declaring your support for NATO this is not only contradictory, it is insulting the intelligence of the Scottish people. Today’s hysterical snp reaction to Sturgeon’s comments display a party which is in a bit of a funk and really panicky. It’s getting interesting.        

MORE TORY LIES EXPOSED

Tory fat cat bosses lose the plot 1/4/2015 0 Comments   The story of the day has been a letter signed by 100 Tory supporting fat cat bosses. These are the very fat cats who have benefited most from the growing gap in wages and inequality in our society. A Chief Executive in a FTSE 100 company now earns on average over 130 times their average employee. Fat cats like Prudential CEO Tidjane Thiam who was paid £11.8 million in 2014, up from a mere £8.7 million in 2013. In 2010, he struggled by on just £5.3 million, so it's not surprising that he thinks things have got better under the Tories. In contrast, average wages have fallen by £1600 a year since 2010. Half of all jobs created have been in low paid sectors with one in five paid less than the living wage. More than 250,000 workers aren't even getting the legal minimum wage, thanks to the lack of enforcement by the Tories. The GMB has identified bosses, among the 103 that signed the letter to the Daily Telegraph asking voters to support the Tory Party, from companies with links to tax dodging, blacklisting, zero hours contracts, pubcos, potential job losses and collapse of Southern Cross care homes as well as known Tory donors. So we can see why they think another Tory government would be a good thing. As Paul Kenny says: "This list of shame shows that voters are faced with a stark choice - a party governing in the interest of corporate bosses with zero hours contracts and for tax breaks for the wealthy elite or a party seeking to provide rights and protection for working people." In stark contrast to the self serving bosses letter, Labour has published it's manifesto for work. 'A Better Plan for Britain's Workplaces'. It includes: Labour will raise the National Minimum Wage to more than £8 before 2020. We will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts – so that if you work regular hours, you get a regular contract. We will make it illegal to use agency workers to undercut wages of permanent employees. We will guarantee an apprenticeship for all school-leavers who get the grades. We will double paternity leave to four weeks and increase the level of pay so that families can afford to take up their entitlement. This manifesto sets out how Labour will ensure that those who do a hard day’s work are rewarded for doing so, as part of a plan to build an economy that creates the secure and better paid jobs we need to raise living standards for working families. A concept unrecognisable to the pampered Tory fat cats who signed today's letter.