Election Night Statement by Katrina Murray following her Narrow Election Defeat in Dundee East

Katrina Murray, Scottish Labour's candidate in Dundee East constituency at the UK General Election on 6 May 2010 said:

"I am very disappointed that I have not won back Dundee East for Scottish Labour tonight. But the battle of ideas will continue and I know that my colleagues and I will continue to contest the distracting nationalism of the SNP and the enduring relevance of our agenda of social justice for people in Dundee East constituency and throughout Scotland; a Scotland that draws on and contributes to the mutuality and strength of the United Kingdom.

To all those voters whom I met on the doorstep, whom I spoke to on the phone and to whom I wrote replies to their emails; be assured that your issues have been clearly heard. Furthermore, our very capable Scottish Labour team of Councillors, MSPs and MPs will work with me to pursue the issues that you so obviously feel strongly about and which your have referred to the Labour party for resolution.

I should like to thank my opponents who have fought fairly and with good humour throughout the campaign. I should also like to thank the Returning Officer, David Dorward, Chief Executive of the City Council and his staff for a very well organised and well run election.

Behind my candidature is a hard-working team of unpaid party workers without whom I could not have fought this campaign. In particular, I owe a debt of gratitude to my agent Lorna Ward, to Councillor Brian Gordon the Chairperson of Dundee East Labour Party, Vice Provost Peter Murphy Chairperson of Carnoustie and Monifieth Labour Party and Stephen Massy my Campaign Co-ordinator.

So be assured that Scottish Labour in the Dundee East constituency will live to fight and win another day."

Don't Put the Economic Recovery at Risk

(Dundee picture left to right: Jim McGovern, Iain Gray MSP and Katrina Murray)

This afternoon, on the waterfront in Dundee, Scottish Labour unveiled a new poster highlighting the choice that Scots face in the upcoming election. The poster highlights the shallowness of David Cameron which poses a risk to the economy, compared with the experience and substance of Gordon Brown who is putting jobs first.

Speaking earlier today, Labour's Scottish Parliamentary Leader Iain Gray said:

"Next Thursday people in Scotland will be asked to make an important choice.

"They will be asked who they want to run the country and who they want making the important decisions that face us over the next five years.

"The reality means that on May 7 only one of two people will walk into Downing Street and become Prime Minister - Gordon Brown or David Cameron.

"Other parties will tell you that they can win but Alex Salmond isn't even standing in this election and Nick Clegg is never going to become Prime Minister.

"In fact we could even be faced with the very real prospect of the SNP or the Lib Dems or both actually supporting David Cameron as he walks into Number 10.

"So the real choice is whether you want Gordon Brown or David Cameron as Prime Minister.

"Gordon Brown's performance on the debate last night showed that when it comes to substance, experience and economic judgement, he towers over David Cameron.

"Gordon Brown knows what questions to ask. David Cameron didn't know how to answer them."

Parkinson's Coffee Morning in The Ferry

On Saturday, along with my colleagues, Marlyn Glen MSP and Katrina Murray, Labour's Dundee East Parliamentary candidate at the general election, I attended a fund raising Coffee morning at the YMCA in Broughty Ferry. This very well supported event was organised by the Dundee and Angus branch of Parkinson's as part of Parkinson's Awareness Week. Parkinson's is the UK support and research charity which for more than 40 years has been working to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson's. Subsequently Katrina, as a parliamentary candidate, signed up to support the 3 pledges for Parkinson's which highlight areas where politicians can make a big difference to the lives of people affected by Parkinson's.
The coffee morning raised the magnificent sum of £1,1000 to help finance the work of the local branch providing services in Dundee and Angus.
Their next fundraising event is Big Fun Run Dundee on 17 July 2010. This 5km fun run will be staged in Camperdown Park. Register on the Big Fun Run website
Well done to a very effective local branch of the charity.

Katrina Murray joins Beach Clean Up at Grassy Beach

Earlier today, Katrina Murray, Labour's general election candidate for Dundee East joined me and ten other volunteers in the litter pick at a very breezy Grassy Beach. This was organised by the Broughty Ferry Beach Management Group as a contribution to the Beautiful Scotland National Spring Clean Event.

Katrina Murray said:
"I was delighted to join the enthusiastic and energetic band of volunteers in their clean up of Grassy Beach. I know that the beach and the combined cycle path and walkway between Douglas Terrace and the Stannergate is a really valued place for recreation in The Ferry. I appreciate the valuable work that members of the Broughty Ferry Beach Management Group are undertaking to protect and enhance the environment. And no this was not like Mrs Thatcher's famous televised clean up in Hyde Park when the rubbish was put out for her; you can see that Laurie and I donned protective gloves and wielded litter pickers to collect a sack load of real litter that had been washed up on the beach and deposited on the grass."

Save Balmossie Rally

On Saturday, more than three hundred fire fighters and supporters gathered at Castle Green to march around the centre of Broughty Ferry and then converge on the St Aidan's Halls for a rally. These events concluded the Fire Brigades' Union campaign to oppose the downgrading of Balmossie Fire Station. More than 5000 letters of objection have been gathered in support of retaining two fire and rescue crews and two fire appliances at Balmossie 24x7.

Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Dundee East, Katrina Murray said:
"5000 voters can't be wrong! Their overwhelming and united voices are opposed to the dangerous and ill conceived proposal to downgrade Balmossie Fire Station. Councillors on the Tayside Fire and Rescue Board should drop this proposal immediately when they meet next Monday to consider the public response to their fire and rescue strategy, 'Towards a Safer Tayside 2010/11'. Having reprieved Balmossie Fire Station from a 50% cut, they should then agree not to return to this issue again next year."

Labour Ferry Councillor Laurie Bidwell said:
"About half of the 5000+ written letters of objection generated by this campaign have been collected from folk living in my ward. Constituents in 'The Ferry' are very clearly opposed to the downgrading of Balmossie Fire Station. They appreciate that if the full time crew on night shift at Balmossie is removed, it would mean that there may be unacceptable delays in getting a fire crew and fire engine to a night time call out. Waiting for retained crew members to get up from their beds at home and make their way to Balmossie will delay this vital emergency service getting to the scene of a fire, road traffic accident or inland flood. This level of response shows that constituents in The Ferry demand the continuation of a 24 x 7 full time crew at their fire station ready to turn out in an instant to protect their lives and property whatever the weather."

Over 700 sign petition to keep night cover (at Balmossie)

Over 700 sign petition to keep night cover

By Geraldine McKelvie

"OVER 700 people braved the wintry conditions on Saturday to sign a petition against proposed changes to full-time night cover at Balmossie fire station."

Read the full story in the Dundee Courier