The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for Scottish politics.
Not least because last weekend Scottish Labour hosted our annual party conference in Edinburgh.
It was a fantastic opportunity to bring our movement together and lay out our plan to deliver the change that Scotland needs.
But let me be clear, my ambition for Scotland does not only involve talking to a room of people who already believe in Labour’s vision for change.
I want to convince the people of Scotland that Labour is a party that is united, ambitious, and hungry for change.
A party ready for government.
A party that is ready to put our values into practice.
And a party that has the best interests of the Scottish people at its heart.
And I have never been more confident as I am today that we are the party that has the vision for the future of our country.
While the SNP has turned inwards, we have turned our face to the people of Scotland. While the SNP offers division, Labour offers transformative policies – our £1 homes programme, the rebuilding and renewal of our NHS, and an Amazon Tax to support Scotland’s small and medium-sized businesses.
Because after 15 years of the SNP, Scotland is crying out for new ideas, new energy and new vision.
And it is no wonder. During their time in office, the SNP have presided over record A&E wait times, record drug deaths, and record vacancies in our NHS.
Nicola Sturgeon has left a legacy of half-baked promises and a collapsing party behind her.
And during her time at the top, the Tories acted as a human shield for every one of her party’s failures. The Tories’ economically illiterate and morally-bankrupt government is a gift to the Nationalists, who can always point and say: “It may be bad here but it can always be worse.”
But with Sturgeon’s departure, this tired argument has grown even weaker.
The people of Scotland deserve a First Minister and a government that is willing to face the issues, push new ideas, and work together to make a brighter future for Scotland.
And while the SNP and Tories waste time stoking division – arguing among themselves about themselves – Labour has developed a clear vision for change.
Our ambitious plans for Scotland would see home ownership become a reality for many who could only dream of it before.
They would provide energy security for the UK and save people thousands on bills every year.
The next election we face will be a general election and it will be a choice between us and the Tories.
That is the choice that Scotland faces – more of the same with the Tories and the SNP or forward into the future with Scottish Labour.
Come with us and build the brighter, greener Scotland we deserve.
SNP SPLITS
For the last 16 years, the SNP has been famed for its internal party discipline.
Debate was stifled and dissent was almost non-existent.
Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation has drawn a sudden but decisive
end to this era. The candidates racing to replace her have wasted no time turning on one another and trying to distance themselves from their own government’s record of failure.
The same disastrous policies they blindly defended week after week are now worthy of scrutiny; the same concerns they ignored are now worth listening to.
Splits are emerging
on everything from the botched National Care Service to the Deposit Return Scheme shambles to the shameful delays to A9 dualling. They can’t even decide on the best way
to pursue the one thing uniting the SNP – their independence obsession.
But the promise of change rings hollow from every candidate – whether it’s the Finance Secretary pledging to revive our struggling economy or the Health Secretary concerned about the crisis in our NHS. And while the SNP is busy turning in on itself, too many Scots are stuck on waiting lists or struggling to put food on the table.
The truth is the SNP created this mess – they can’t fix it.
But change is coming and Labour is united in our mission to deliver it.
EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
We are all heartbroken by the devastating scenes of the horrific earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
I have spent some wonderful times in Turkey and have close connections to the country and its wonderful people and my heart is breaking for those affected.
It is difficult to comprehend the scale of destruction it has caused as the death toll continues to rise. But while the headlines might soon move on, the risk to life will not.
Too many must now live through a bitter winter without the basics for their survival or reconstruction efforts to begin.
So while I want to send my condolences to all those who have lost a loved one in Turkey and Syria, I know it’s important we do more.
It is essential that we all step up at this critical time and Scotland and the UK should be at the forefront of this response.
We must be outward- looking nations, committed to playing our part in the international community.
While our governments must be leading the way, every one of us can help.
I know these are difficult times but anything that you can give to support the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal will make a huge difference to families who are suffering in Turkey and Syria.
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