SCOTTISH Tory MSP Stephen Kerr may have gotten more than he bargained for after “having a punt” at one of anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe's tweets.
The moment came after Monroe had posted on Twitter about the news that energy firms such as Shell were posting record-high profits despite the cost-of-living crisis hitting families across the UK.
On July 28, the campaigner wrote: “I’m being contacted by media outlets about the energy companies’ record profits and my stance on this is very clear. As with supermarkets, while a single one of their customers is forced into poverty by their racketeering prices, not a penny should be paid in shareholder bonuses.”
She hit out at the financial interests of politicians who accept donations from billion-pound companies or own shares in private health firms, suggesting that “exploitation, narcissism, self interest” were to blame for the crisis hitting people’s bank accounts.
“Nationalise f***ing everything, at this point,” Monroe wrote: “Energy, transport, water, supermarkets, ALL healthcare. Regulate it, make it affordable to all, bring public services back into public ownership, because after all, it is the public who pays for it. In every sense of the word.”
She added: “It’s no coincidence that the amount paid out in in-work top-up benefits to supermarket staff, as an example, is exactly 50% of those supermarkets’ annual profit statements. So they COULD afford to pay their staff enough to live on and STILL make a lot of money. They CHOOSE not to.”
The call to “nationalise everything” was jumped on by the usual array of anonymous Twitter accounts – and one Stephen Kerr.
The Scottish Tory chief whip took the chance – when doesn’t he? – to have a go at the SNP.
Be careful what you wish for. In Scotland under the SNP, we have: Nationalised Prestwick airport: lost £43mil and unsellable Nationalised shipyard, £200m on ferries five yrs overdue and still not ready Nationalised Scotrail, cut dozens of services. https://t.co/CDXBeQgi3s
— Stephen Kerr MSP (@RealStephenKerr) July 30, 2022
He wrote: “Be careful what you wish for. In Scotland under the SNP, we have: “Nationalised Prestwick airport: lost £43mil and unsellable.
“Nationalised shipyard, £200m on ferries five yrs overdue and still not ready.
“Nationalised Scotrail, cut dozens of services.”
On Sunday, Monroe responded: “Chief whip for the Scottish Tories having a punt too.
“Not sure why they’re all so keen to drag down a [checks notes] little budget baked bean blogger, but clearly something about me has got them rattled.”
Prestwick airport was purchased by the Scottish Government for £1 in 2013 to prevent it from closing. Finance Secretary Kate Forbes announced in January that, despite “bids from credible investors and very detailed and extensive work”, the Scottish Government had decided not to sell the now profit-making site.
Ferguson Marine was brought into Government ownership in 2019 to prevent closure after attempts to deliver on a £97 million contract for two ferries descended into farce under the management of billionaire Jim McColl. Unfortunately, that fiasco is still ongoing.
And ScotRail was privatised after Abellio (which is ultimately owned by the Dutch government) saw its contract ended early amid criticism of performance levels. Services were cut amid a pay dispute with drivers’ union Aslef, but plans to return to a full timetable are underway after a deal was accepted in July.
