• SNP Candidate Lambasts Tory Plan To Cut Lottery Causes

    January 12, 2010

    Dundee Councillor Jim Barrie is concerned that many good causes in the city might lose out if the Conservatives win the General Election.  .

    The Tories frontbench spokesperson, Jeremy Hunt MP, has stated explicitly “one of the first things a Conservative Government will do will be to restore the Lottery to its original four good causes.  The Big Lottery will ONLY fund projects in the voluntary and community sectors”.

    This means that an incoming Conservative Government will get rid of all non-voluntary and community sector Big Lottery Fund awards if they win the general election. Many local awards have been received in Dundee by statutory bodies, particularly schools and public bodies. 

    Councillor Barrie, who will be contesting the Dundee West seat for the SNP said “My colleague, Pete Wishart MP, in answers to a Parliamentary Question, learned that Scotland has benefited with hundreds of non-voluntary and community organisations, many of them schools, being awarded over £4 million of lottery cash last year alone”.

    “Across Scotland the money has been used to help initiatives from sensory gardens for severely disabled children to training for those suffering from autism to educational support for pre-school children. These types of projects would lose their funding”.

    “David Cameron’s plans would strike at the heart of the important work these organisations are doing for the people of Dundee and across Scotland”, said Councillor Barrie.

    “I am sure this will be a key election issue on the doorsteps. Over the last couple of years I have had many complaints about the present Labour Government supporting the diversion of lottery money from worthy local causes throughout Scotland, including Dundee, to fund massive spending in London for the Olympics.  This is set to continue, not only under Labour but it would appear the Tories also have their eyes on money that should be going where it is most deserving.

    “And the irony of this news is that this is the same Conservative party that claim they want an lottery independent of government but who are now it seems perfectly willing to dictate to the lottery what causes should be supported.”