Why vote Labour? My priorities for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine

I might not get another chance to update this blog before polling day, so I want to set out why I'm asking you to vote Labour on May 5th, and set out some of my priorities for the constituency.

• Employment and the economy  - Under Alex Salmond, unemployment in Scotland has now risen higher than the rest of the UK. It used to be the lowest in the UK under Scottish Labour. We have ambitious job creation schemes, from funding apprenticeships through to providing more support for renewables companies and small businesses. What's the SNP's answer? They are still the party of independence, no matter how much they try to hide it this election. Salmond is still the man who would like to Scotland to be modeled on the now failed economies of Ireland and Iceland. My party is the party labour, of work and employment. Solid plans for job creation and economic growth are at the heart of our plans for government.
• Tough decisions in tough times - Any Scottish Government will have to live within its means. We need politicians who will protect the things that really matter and invest for the future. So, at a time when under the current SNP government teachers are being lost, leisure facilities shut and the roads aren't getting fixed, why on earth are the nationalists and the Liberals wanting to spend £140m bulldozing over Union Terrace Gardens? It's a folly, and I won't have it. Labour is the only party opposed to the city square project. With more Labour MSPs, we stand a better chance of stopping it.
• Transport and infrastructure - The future prosperity of the North East lies in improving its infrastructure (not in another shopping centre / car park). This means getting on building the Western Peripheral Route is a priority. We also need to improve public transport, particularly for people in Portlethen and Newtonhill getting in and out of Aberdeen. This means more competition with bus services, and more trains from Portlethen station.

Finally, this election is about a choice of candidate as well as a party. I genuinely believe I offer something different to the other career politicians and serial candidates standing in this seat. I want to use the experience I've gained at the heart of the North East's oil industry to shake up government and get the support to frontline services. You can find out more about what I stand for below, and what I get up to outside of politics on my twitter feed.

Thanks for reading. This seat is wide open and with your vote I hope I will be your next MSP.

Greg