Jeremy Corbyn backs Rutherglen MP Ged Killen’s cash machine campaign

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has hailed Rutherglen MP Ged Killen’s work in trying to save high street banks and cash machines as an example of what a Labour government would strive towards achieving.

Mr Corbyn was in Blantyre on Sunday as part of a two-day visit to Scotland, where he met Mr Killen and spoke to party activists.

The visit came just days before a general election in December was confirmed.

Mr Killen’s vocal opposition to ATMs charging fees, including calling them a “rip off”, was highlighted by Mr Corbyn in his speech to party members.

He said: “Working class communities increasingly get excluded from the banking system, excluded from the ability to borrow money of any sort.

“This campaign leads absolutely into what we want to do as a Labour government – take Royal Mail back into public ownership, reintegrate it with the Post Office that it should never have been separated from, and establish a Post Bank in every part of the country so that we don’t leave high streets in poor working class communities behind – we actually regenerate them through public investment, through the Post Bank and Post Offices jointly with Royal Mail.”

Statistics earlier this year revealed that almost a quarter of cash machines in Rutherglen now charge locals to use them.

Mr Corbyn, who was joined by Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard on his visit, also attacked both the SNP and Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the meeting.

He stated: “The SNP say the most important thing is an independence referendum, forgetting that the reality is the GERS formula indicates a huge problem over funding, whereas we want to invest. And as Richard rightly says, the only road to the end of austerity in Britain is the election of a Labour government in the UK Parliament.”

Addressing Boris Johnson’s approach to Brexit, Mr Corbyn added: “His whole objective is to create what he calls a low-tax economy on the shores of Europe.

“He does not in that sense mean low tax for the ordinary person, for the working class person. What he means is tax relief and tax write-offs and tax giveaways for the very richest in our society.”

Mr Killen, who earlier this year was critical of party leadership after a poor showing in the European elections, said: “It was great to welcome Jeremy Corbyn and Richard Leonard to Blantyre this afternoon.

“Whilst our immediate priority must be to stop a No Deal Brexit and secure an extension to article 50, what was clear today is that our members and activists are energised and ready to fight a general election whenever it comes.

“I was also really pleased to see people who are not signed up members come to hear from Jeremy about Labour’s radical plans to transform our society and our economy so that it delivers equality, fairness and prosperity for working people instead of a select few at the top.

“When the prize is this big, the fight will always be tough but, against the odds, we won in Rutherglen and Hamilton West in 2017 and we are ready to do it all over again.”

Mr Corbyn’s visit was criticised by Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey .

She said: “For all of Jeremy Corbyn’s talk, it’s clear that many in Labour do not want a General Election – despite demanding it for two years.

“Understandably so, given their party polled a measly 12 per cent here in South Lanarkshire in the recent European Elections.

“Labour MPs might be happy seeing Boris Johnson continue in government – and therefore allowing him to continue imposing the rape clause, implementing austerity, and presiding over the shambolic Universal Credit system – but the SNP are not.

“We need a General Election to oust this toxic right-wing Tory Government, and to stop them from forcing through Brexit supported by Labour votes.”