I'll be the pensioners' champion, says Cathy Jamieson

Published on Friday 8 August 2008 22:03

SCOTTISH Labour leadership contender Cathy Jamieson promised the party would have a "pensioners' champion" if she succeeds Wendy Alexander.

The former justice minister accused the SNP of having a "don't care" attitude to pensioners and said she would make sure their views were heard.

She said: "Services for older people are either being cut or charges have increased.

"Pensioners have paid into the pot all their lives and they deserve a fair deal when they retire. It's not enough for Alex Salmond to complain about Westminster when it is his government that is making the cuts." And she promised: "Scottish Labour led by me will have a pensioners' champion and we will ensure that the views and needs of Scotland's pensioners run through our policies."

Ms Jamieson is fighting the former health minister Andy Kerr and ex-enterprise minister Iain Gray to become the Labour's Scottish Parliament leader.

Yesterday Mr Gray announced he had the backing of Aberdeen North MP Frank Doran.

Mr Doran said that because the East Lothian MSP had worked as a minister and also had experience of Westminster – where he worked as an adviser to the Scotland Office – he was the best candidate for the job.

Mr Gray is well ahead in the three-horse race to get support from Labour's elected members, with 13 backers in the party's group at Holyrood, as well as both of Labour's Scottish MEPs.

He has the backing of MPs Russell Brown, Brian Donohoe, Eric Joyce, Thomas McAvoy, Rosemary McKenna and John Robertson, as well as Mr Doran.