Election: Labour’s 15 pledges for Fife in manifesto launch

The party made 15 pledges to voters in the Kingdom ahead of the vote on May 5.

The election comes as the Kingdom emerges from the pandemic, and into a cost of living crisis - and, says Labour, increasing centralisation of services by the SNP led Scottish Government.

David Ross, party leader, described the manifesto as ambitious, and said: “This election is all about local services and local government.

“And local services could look very different at the end of the coming council term.”

He led the manifesto launch in Lochgelly on Monday, unveiling the pledges the party’s candidates will put to voters across the regional wards.

They include a £10m recovery fund for local communities to be administered by local area communities.

Labour also proposes to at least 50% of council contracts going to local firms - the figure currently stands at around 40% - and investing in town centres.

And it pledges to build more new, warm and well insulated, council housing.

In a bid to tackle the increasing issue of fly-tipping it is committed to scrapping charges for bulky uplifts, and it says it will also fix Fife’s roads with a commitment to tackling potholes and repairs.

Labour also wants to expand holiday meals for Fife children and families on the back of successful projects such as Cafe Inc, and reduce the waiting times for social care packages.

It will also reject any workplace parking levy, and oppose privatisation of council care homes.

The party also wants to overhaul the committee structure and bring in an executive governance to ensure the local authority is councillor-led. Area committees would continue.

Mr Ross said: We recognise with the recovery that we need to be going in a different direction. We need to be more flexible.”

The manifesto launch was attended by local candidates and Cara Hilton, former Dunfermline MSP chair of Scottish Labour.

She said: “We have local champions standing up for local people and are on their side.”

Mr Ross echoed the theme and added: “Our priorities are clear. We want to tackle poverty in our communities and support vulnerable people.”