Scotland being ‘held back’ by SNP – Sarwar

The Scottish Labour leader will say that Scotland is full of ‘enormous potential’.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will speak at the Labour party conference on Monday (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Scotland is being “held back” by an SNP government that is failing Scots as the country cries out for change, Anas Sarwar will tell the Labour party conference.

The Scottish Labour leader will say that Scotland is a country of “enormous potential and is brimming with talent”, but that it needs fresh leadership and new ideas.

He will say that it is “time up for the SNP”, which he says offers nothing but “internal division and outward incompetence”.

In a speech on Monday, Mr Sarwar will tell delegates that the story of Labour’s revival is “only half-written”.

We are still held back by an SNP government that is failing Scots on a daily basis

Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader

He is expected to say: “It is clear that Scotland is crying out for change after years of SNP and Tory failure.

“We might have got rid of one incompetent government at the general election, but in Scotland another incompetent government remains in power.

“Scotland is a country of enormous potential and is brimming with talent.

“But we are still held back by an SNP government that is failing Scots on a daily basis and that has nothing but decline and division to offer the people.”

Mr Sarwar will say that nearly one in six Scots are on an NHS waiting list, that the education attainment gap remains and that economic growth has flatlined.

He will also say that drug and alcohol deaths remain “stubbornly high” and that rough sleeping persists while homelessness is at record levels.

The Scottish Labour leader will tell delegates: “When Scotland most needs change, fresh leadership and new ideas – all the SNP offers is internal division and outward incompetence.

“The same tired people in power peddling the same old excuses.

“Frankly, it’s time up for the SNP.

“They are a party that has lost their vision and lost their way. Above all, they have lost their ambition for Scotland.”

SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown said the Scottish Labour leader “must think people in Scotland are zipped up the back” if he believes they will vote for his party, which he said is inflicting “billions of pounds of cuts on Scotland whilst lining their own pockets with donations and freebies”.

He added: “The only person Scottish Labour is delivering for is Keir Starmer – meanwhile Labour is cutting winter fuel payments for over 800,000 pensioners, pushing over 87,000 children into poverty by failing to scrap the two child limit and hammering Scotland’s public services by continuing Westminster austerity cuts.

“It’s no wonder the Labour Party is collapsing in the polls as voters can see they are simply picking up where the Tories left off.

“The SNP will continue to demonstrate why we are the only party who can be trusted to deliver a better future for Scotland by using the limited powers of devolution to improve the lives of people across Scotland and deliver of their priorities.”

Scottish Conservative party chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: “Scotland has been left in a total mess after 17 years of SNP rule – with public services crumbling while hardworking Scots are paying more tax for poorer outcomes.

“The notion of Scottish Labour representing real change is blatantly false, because on a host of issues you can’t fit a cigarette paper between them and the SNP.

“Anas Sarwar has chosen to back the SNP on gender self-ID, the illiberal Hate Crime Act, tax rises and has also turned his back on the oil and gas sector.

“Now with the SNP following the Labour Government’s lead to remove winter fuel payments for many pensioners it’s almost impossible to tell the two parties apart.”

He added: “Only the Scottish Conservatives will stand up to the cosy left-wing Holyrood consensus by delivering on Scotland’s real priorities, such as restoring our NHS, delivering energy security, supporting our flagging economy and reforming our education system.”