Richard Baker
- Name:
- Richard Baker
- Party:
- Scottish Labour Party
- Constituency:
- Aberdeen South
- Election result May 2003:
- 5805 votes (19.27%), second of five candidates
Elected as MSP from North East Scotland region
- Election literature available in Aspect:
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- Election policy statement:
- Aberdeen South needs a strong voice in the Scottish Parliament and a hard-working MSP in the constituency in order to build on the achievements of the last four years. Achievements like investment of over £1 million in Torry's schools - a nursery place for every 3 and 4 year old - more bobbies on the beat in areas like Torry, Kincorth, Garthdee and Cove - funding the long-awaited Western Peripheral Route
I believe I can be that strong voice in Holyrood and the energetic local MSP that you need. With my track record of campaigning for the abolition of tuition fees and for free personal care for the elderly, I've proved I have the skills needed. Please use your votes wisely on May 1st - your votes do count.
Labour working for you in Aberdeen South
The Labour-led Scottish Executive has achieved a lot for the people of Aberdeen since 1999. With your support, we want to build on this over the next four years.
- Introduce tougher sentences for drug dealers
- Reduce secondary class sizes at key stages
- Expand free off peak bus travel Scotland-wide
- Guarantee GP appointments within 48 hours
Over the past four years Labour has delivered the investment to improve services; over the next four years we want to use that investment to deliver a better Aberdeen.
Working hard for older people
Having worked for Help The Aged, older people's interests are a priority for me. As well as fully supporting our pledge to extend the boundaries of free bus travel across Scotland, I support greater consultation with older people over the facilities in their communities. I will also work in conjunction with the Council to seek proper funding for older peoples' services.
Campaigning for students
As President of NUS Scotland I led the campaign to abolish tuition fees and re-introduce grants. We must now review student funding again to ensure remove the remaining barriers to further and higher education. Lifelong learning is vital too - I want to work with employers and trade unions to expand the opportunities available to all of us to update our skills.
A safer, cleaner city
I want safer communities for everyone in Aberdeen South. Youth vandalism and underage drinking are major concerns and I will press for additional funding for local police to combat these problems. I also support our pledges to crack down on drug dealers, who have become a scourge on some of our communities, and to tackle anti-social neighbours.
Tackling our transport issues
The First Minister, Jack McConnell, announced in Aberdeen earlier this year that the Scottish Executive will fund the main route of the Western Peripheral - I will work with my elected colleagues and civil servants to minimise any further delays in this vital transport link for Aberdeen and the North-East and press for further funding to improve our public transport network.
Dear Voter
I am proud of all that Labour in the Scottish Parliament has achieved our first four years - including abolishing up-front tuition fees, re-introducing grants and introducing free personal care and free bus travel for older people - but we still have a lot more to do to build a better Scotland and a better Aberdeen.
As your Labour candidate I have met many of you and heard about the issues that concern you. I agree that the priorities for the next four years in the Scottish Parliament must be to look after our older people, provide a first class health service, tackle the scourge of drugs and cut crime in our city and raise standards in our schools.
However, we need stability and investment to achieve these. Working in partnership with the Labour Government at Westminster, Labour in the Scottish Parliament has taken advantage of our strong, stable economy to provide more jobs and increase investment in our schools and hospitals. This vital stability and extra money would all be put at risk if we were divorced from the rest of the UK; instead, Scotland needs a strong and experienced government to deliver the better public services that we all deserve.
If you elect me as your MSP on May 1st I will work tirelessly to make our joint ambitions for our community a reality. Your votes count on May 1st - please use them to help build a better Aberdeen.
Yours faithfully
Richard Baker
- Further information:
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http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/richard_baker/