Glenrothes by-election: Salmond promises action on energy bills

Published on Wednesday 22 October 2008 18:00

AN SNP victory in the Glenrothes by-election would lead to action by Westminster on energy bills, First Minister Alex Salmond claimed today.

He made the promise during his sixth campaign visit to the constituency, where later today Labour is fielding Sarah Brown as its "secret weapon".

Mr Salmond refused to be drawn into criticising the Prime Minister's wife for campaigning in the constituency.

But he repeated his challenge for her husband to come to the constituency and debate with him.

"I'm not going to make any comment on the Labour Party campaign," he said.

"I welcome Mrs Brown to the constituency but I would rather see the Prime Minister here in a toe to toe debate so I repeat my challenge – let's have that debate here in Glenrothes."

But Mr Salmond went on: "The problem with secret weapons in campaigns is, you cannot keep them secret from the people.

"To win a campaign, you have to meet the folk and engage in direct politics.

"That's what people understand, that's what we will do and whatever everybody else does is a matter for them."

Mr Salmond also claimed the problems of shadow chancellor George Osborne were not featuring in the Glenrothes campaign.

"Nobody has mentioned George Osborne full stop – or indeed the Conservatives," he said.

"I can't say this will have a great impact."

Campaigning in the main shopping centre in Glenrothes, Mr Salmond insisted energy costs were a dominant feature of the campaign.

He told reporters: "I can't emphasise to you guys enough how energy bills are dominating this campaign on every doorstep.

"The bills are flooding in, winter is coming on, and it costs 1,400 average to heat a house in this constituency already. It is a huge, dominating issue."

He went on: "Bills for electricity and gas are thudding through every letter box.

"The most powerful leaflets in this campaign are the ones coming in from gas and electricity boards."

The SNP has called for a VAT holiday for fuel bills this winter, 100 extra for every pensioner, and a reduction in VAT for home insulation.

An SNP victory in Glenrothes would lead to Government action on energy bills, he said.

"If you remember, with Glasgow East there was a freeze on petrol and I expect to see action on energy as a result of SNP pressure in this campaign."

He said his party was campaigning to win: "It's a substantial majority but we have demonstrated this year that there's no such thing as a safe Labour seat in Scotland."

And he claimed: "The earthquake in Scottish politics that was seen in Glasgow East is still reverberating here in Glenrothes."