#VoteCommunist-in Scotland

posted in: News & Views, Scotland | 0

Scotland’s Communists are calling for:

  • A real living wage for all workers of at least £10.32 per hour.
  • A ban on zero hours and non-permanent contracts, day one employment rights and rights to equal treatment with permanent and full-time workers.
  • A new government-backed apprenticeship system focused on real skills and real jobs with a real living wage and day one trade union and employment rights.
  • A statutory right to an apprenticeship or a two-year work placement for all school leavers up to the age of 25, with a real living wage.
  • An increase to the state pension entitlement.
  • A real end to austerity; investment in jobs and public services.
  • Cutting income tax on the lowest earners.
  • A cut to VAT on essential goods and services.
  • The replacement of council tax with local income, wealth, land and property taxes based clearly on the ability to pay.
  • A Green New Deal and investment in useful infrastructure such as warm, well-insulated buildings and renewable energy.
  • 100,000 new municipally-owned council houses to be built within the next 5 years, with a minimum supply of 20,000 new council houses per year afterwards.
  • An immediate 30% reduction in all private sector rents across the board.
  • We fully endorse the proposals of the Living Rent Tenant’s Manifesto and are calling for a new system of rent control.
  • Amend the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1987 to provide homeless households immediate cash grants where local authorities fail to provide temporary accommodation.
  • A new law placing a legal duty on the owners of long-term empty homes (including second homes) to i) make them available for secure tenants at an affordable rent or ii) sell them at an affordable price, with new compulsory purchase powers for local authorities to increase council and social housing stock.
  • A fairer social security framework to replace Universal Credit.
  • Fixed price public transport network cards with capped affordable prices, providing unlimited access to the local and national rail, bus and city transport networks.
  • Nationalisation of rail and intercity bus services and local authority control of urban and rural bus services.
  • Improved public transport links for rural and islands communities to enable people to live, work and study in their communities.
  • The replacement of student loans with a guaranteed bursary for all students.