Scottish Labour puts NHS at heart of election manifesto

The Scottish Labour party has put the health service at the heart of its policy pledges as Anas Sarwar launched his manifesto on Monday.

The Scottish Labour leader launched his party’s manifesto in Edinburgh, with the 94-page document offering very little in terms of new policy pledges.

But he said the drive to cut waiting times in the NHS was “the main thing”.

“As someone that has worked in our NHS – I was an NHS dentist before coming into politics – the NHS is personal to me and that’s why fixing the NHS, making sure it’s fit for the future and cutting waiting lists, is so important,” he said.

“Are there other priorities too? Yes. But if you’re asking me specifically the one I’m most passionate about, it has to be the NHS, because that’s in my DNA.”

Throughout the campaign, Sarwar has faced questions over his relationship with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – whom he urged to stand down just weeks ago.

He claimed a UK Labour Government will always work with the Scottish Government.

He would seek a collaborative relationship with Downing Street if elected as First Minister after the May 7 election, he told party faithful at the event, despite the cooling of his once close relationship with the occupant of Number 10.

Sarwar said the suggestion his relationship with Sir Keir had broken down was “nonsense”.

“I’ve made my views clear, I stand by my views, I don’t recoil from my views, but I will always do what’s in the best interests of Scotland,” he said.

Sarwar said he did not question the Prime Minster’s integrity and is certain he wants to “do what’s best by our country”.

Pushed on whether he could have that relationship with Sir Keir, Sarwar said: “I’m confident that a UK Labour Government would, of course, work with the Scottish Government to deliver for Scotland.”

Despite Sarwar’s optimistic tone, the party has been lagging behind in the election campaign, with polling putting them in a battle with Reform UK for second place with the SNP well ahead.

But the party leader has resolved to prove wrong those journalists and commentators who have written his party off.

Asked if he would resign if he failed to do so, Sarwar said: “It’s your job to hypothecate, it’s my job to persuade.

“I’m going to spend the next three-and-a-half-weeks persuading people that Scotland needs change, because after 20 years of SNP Government, they’ve lost their way.

“I’m asking people to give me five and, in those five years, I will demonstrate that the NHS can work, I will demonstrate that we can have an education system that’s there for our young people.

“I will demonstrate our skill system can give opportunities to all our amazing young people, I will demonstrate that we can end homelessness and eradicate rough sleeping and I will demonstrate that we can have a government with the right priorities stops the waste and respects people’s money.”

The document makes a raft of pricey pledges, including £5.3 billion to build more than 50,000 affordable homes; £2 billion for rail infrastructure; and more than £600 million for 2,000 teachers and 1,500 classroom assistants.

All of which, the party said, could be funded through existing forecasts for the budget, but it appears to fail to reckon with the almost £5 billion blackhole looming in the Scottish Government’s budget by the end of this decade.

“We’re really clear that these are fully costed commitments that are within the portfolio and envelope available to the Scottish Government,” he said.

The party is also aiming to cut taxes in the next Parliament if a Labour government is able to increase economic growth.

A review of the Thistle safe consumption room in Glasgow was among the new pledges, but was not touted by Sarwar from the stage in Edinburgh.

SNP campaign manager and Scottish Constitution Secretary, Angus Robertson, said the manifesto showed a “complete lack of ideas and no vision”, adding: “Anas Sarwar has had five years to develop this manifesto and he has come up with nothing.

“We’ve heard it all before from Labour – but we know exactly what we get with them.

“Broken promise after broken promise – energy bills up, Grangemouth closed and the Winter Fuel Payment debacle.

“We already have one disastrous Labour government and we don’t need another one.”

Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said the manifesto was “not worth the paper it was written on”.

“It is not a serious or credible plan to deliver the change Scotland needs after two decades of failure from the SNP.

“Anas Sarwar is following the failed blueprint of Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves with his uncosted manifesto.

“That means a nasty surprise could be in store for Scots, just like when Labour snatched away winter fuel payments from pensioners.”