Ahead of the election, the Scottish Labour leader calls for a shift from 20 years of SNP rule, emphasizing the need for better governance in healthcare, education, and local communities. The plea highlights frustration with current policies and urges voters to focus on Scotland's future rather than Westminster politics.
Dear reader, Tomorrow’s election is a chance to change our country. It’s a chance we can’t afford to miss. After 20 years of John Swinney and the SNP I'm asking you to vote for change and for a government commited to making life better for you and your family.
I know many people are scunnered with politics and feel like their governments aren’t working for them, but it doesn’t have to be like this - I believe Scotland’s best days lie ahead of us if we take the opportunity to vote for it. I get that many people are disappointed and frustrated with the UK Labour government. I share that frustration.
I understand why people feel let down, and why some are tempted to use this election to send a message. But tomorrow’s election is not about Westminster. It is not about giving your verdict on a government in London. It is about who governs Scotland, who runs our NHS, who shapes our schools, who decides how your money is spent, and whether our communities finally get the change they have been waiting for.
A vote for me and Scottish Labour on Thursday is not an endorsement of Keir Starmer an it won’t be used as one. It’s to change the First Minister here in Scotland. This election is not about passing judgement on a Goverment that has been in power for 2 years, it’s about us moving on from 20 years of the SNP. That is why this election matters so much.
After 20 years of SNP government, too many people feel Scotland is being held back. You see it in our NHS, with soaring waiting lists and the daily struggle to get a GP appointment. You see it in schools under pressure, in young people being denied opportunity, in town centres that have been hollowed out, and in communities that feel left behind.
You see it every time your pay packet does not stretch as far as it should, every time your car hits another pothole, and every time you are asked to pay more and get less in return. So let me be absolutely clear. Tomorrow is our chance to turn the page. We can save our NHS by cutting waiting lists, ending the 8am rush for a GP appointment, and bringing back the family doctor.
We can make life more affordable by cutting childcare costs, building more homes, ending government waste, and helping families who are under real pressure. We can give all our young people a better future with more teachers, more classroom assistants, better support in schools and more routes into skilled work. We can make our communities stronger and safer by fixing the roads, backing local services and putting more community police back where they belong.
And we can reject the poison of Reform, whose politics of division, grievance and smears have nothing to offer Scotland. Let’s be honest about Reform. They cannot beat the SNP. They cannot change Scotland.
They do not want to fix the NHS, make life more affordable or improve your community. They want to stir up anger, create division and drag our politics into the gutter. If you want to reject Reform, beat the SNP and change Scotland, there is only one route to do it. Scottish Labour.
You have given the SNP 20 years and Scotland has paid the price. I am asking you to give me five years to fix the mess, get the basics right and build a better future for Scotland. Change is possible, but only if we vote for it. So tomorrow, vote for change.
Reject Reform. Beat the SNP. Change Scotland. Vote Scottish Labour.
, Yours, Anas Sarwar To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here
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