SCOTTISH Labour have made a habit of inviting the ire of social media users with their promotional videos.
Their latest is no exception.
MSP Alex Rowley has been inundated with negative responses after posting a video in which he criticised Scottish Government proposals for a local authority parking levy.
The video asks: “Do you think you should pay to park at your own work?”
“The SNP and Greens think you should. What do you think?”
Teleporting from schools to dockyards and from a salmon processing plant to Police Scotland headquarters in Glenrothes, Rowley cites potential “mayhem” if commuters forego workplace car parks to park on nearby streets.
He claims that public transport shortcomings mean workers have to use their car to get to work.
“Workplaces all over Scotland will be impacted is this law is pushed through the Scottish Parliament by the SNP and the Greens,” he says.
“I would urge people to get on to your MSPs to let them know what you think.”
🅿️ Do you think you should have to pay to park at your own workplace? 👇 pic.twitter.com/c2mmKs3yVI
— Alex Rowley (@Alex_RowleyMSP) May 15, 2019
Surprisingly, Twitter users had spotted a few flaws in the Scottish Labour production.
Firstly, Scottish Labour’s own 2017 council election manifesto for Glasgow suggested introducing a parking tax to help tackle city congestion. Awkward.
Did Scottish Labour think this when it tried to include it in the Transport Bill in 2003? Or when it included it in their local elections Manifestos in 2017?
— Mags Hall (@MagsSGP) May 15, 2019
Secondly, Rowley is accused of missing the entire point of the levy, which is handily included in the video.
Green MSP Andy Wightman is shown to say in Holyrood: “The aim of the workplace, and maybe other places, parking levy is to discourage the use of cars.”
It seems Rowley hasn’t paid very close attention to his own video.
Surely though, he’s been paying attention to the unfolding climate crisis, caused by CO2 emissions, facing all of humanity. If not, Twitter users were on hand to remind him.
Great initiative. Hopefully it'll create greater demand for more and better public transport, improving air-quality and land-use. "We need to provide for owners of private cars or they'll choose to cause chaos to nearby residents" is not a persuasive argument.
— Revoking article 50 increasingly likely (@ChrisMurphy201) May 15, 2019
Really looking forward to councils having the power to raise funds for local services and public transport while simultaneously tackling pollution, congestion and climate change. Wish Labour would stand up for the future of working people and communities like the Greens do.
— Gordon Crawford (@Gordon_HC) May 15, 2019
Good to see Scottish Labour taking pollution and climate emergency seriously.
— (((Lennie))) (@drgs100) May 15, 2019
Seems pretty reasonable. Would help fund the public transport options the need for which you have astutely highlighted.
— Ali (@mashedtatties) May 15, 2019
Yes, this obsession with cars has ruined our towns and cities enough as it is. Polluted air, congested streets, noise pollution, global warming. For what, your preference to not use public transport?
— Robbie (@RobbieTweeting) May 15, 2019
Do you think the many should subsidise pollution by the few?
— Götz von Berlichingen #FBPE (@georgebernhard) May 15, 2019
Tackle congestion, climate change, air pollution, invest in our public transport network as well as walking and cycling networks - all while empowering local councils and *my employer* is charged if they have over 10 parking spaces? YES!
— Chloë Minish (@ChloeMinish) May 15, 2019
The Labour MSP was also criticised for opposing measures to help local authorities raise extra revenue.
Do you think councils should have additional revenue raising powers?
— Brian Finlay (@WeeBrian86) May 15, 2019
Scottish Labour have scored another own goal. What do you think?
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