Our planet is at risk – that is a simple, unavoidable fact.
The decisions this generation of leaders make will affect our children and our grandchildren.
I am determined to leave the next generation a better planet than the one we inherited – but to do this, we must sweep out both our bad governments and deliver the urgent action we need, because we are running out of time.
Today Labour is announcing the boldest energy plan Scotland and the whole UK has seen in generations.
We’ve been hearing for well over a decade that we're going to have a green revolution in Scotland, but instead we’ve had an endless string of broken promises.
Climate targets have been missed, green jobs have gone abroad, and even our seabed has been flogged to foreign companies at bargain basement prices.
Delivering a jobs first transition has to be more than just the slogan for two failing governments – it should be a national mission.
That is why the next Labour government will deliver a real green revolution that will create jobs, lower bills, and provide energy security so we don’t have to rely on imports from despotic regimes like Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
There is going to be a global leader in the race for a green transition – and under Labour, Scotland can be that leader.
Our transformative plans for a clean energy revolution will be led by a publicly-owned energy company that will be based right here in Scotland.
The SNP broke its promise to create a public energy company, but Labour will deliver Great British Energy – Headquartered in Scotland and delivering for all the UK.
GB Energy, backed by the strength of the UK treasury, will unleash Scotland’s massive energy potential by making those strategic investments we need.
I know many will try and portray our bold environmental plans as an attack on the northeast and on our oil and gas sector, but nothing could be further from the truth.
There will be no cliff edge, and oil and gas will continue to play a significant role in our energy sector for decades to come.
But people working in our oil and gas industry need a government that backs them – that works in partnership with them to deliver a jobs-first transition.
We cannot make the same mistake that Margaret Thatcher made when she devastated mining communities and destroyed livelihoods.
Labour's plans will deliver what's right for the Northeast and for the whole of Scotland – and that is high-skilled, well paid jobs for generations to come.
The status quo isn’t good enough. Scotland deserves better than the corrupt and cruel Conservatives, and the divided and chaotic SNP.
On jobs, on bills, and on the climate emergency, it is Labour setting out the big ideas, and developing the plans that will change our country.
Only Labour can boot the Tories out of No10 and only Labour can offer unity and ideas while the SNP loses its way.
I believe our country’s best days lie ahead of us.
Labour is ready to deliver the change that Scotland, the UK and our planet needs.
People can't wait any longer for cancer treatment
When the unthinkable happens and a person is diagnosed with cancer, people should feel safe in the knowledge that our NHS will be there for them.
But for far too many Scots that is no longer the case.
Last week NHS Highland revealed that 78 patients had their treatment plunged into chaos because they don’t have an oncologist. Some 13 patients waiting to start chemotherapy have had it delayed indefinitely.
This is the reality of the NHS workforce crisis – it is quite literally a matter of life and death.
Things are at crisis point in the Highlands, but this is bigger than any one health board.
Other boards can’t help these patients because they have their own workforce crisis, and pleas for help from the government have been largely ignored.
Swift treatment is crucial to beating cancer, and it a national scandal that SNP incompetence is delaying lifesaving treatment.
The government hasn’t met its own 62-day treatment target for over a decade – and their new cancer strategy doesn’t say a word on how they will fix this.
Cancer is still Scotland’s biggest killer and after 16 years of SNP mismanagement, services are worse than ever. People can’t wait any longer.
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