Only we can stop the cuts Only we can stop the Tories Scottish Labour leader in pledge to the people
Richard Leonard is touring the country for a month in a bid to convince Scots there is an “alternative to Tory austerity”.
The Scottish Labour leader visited the Borders, Ayrshire and Edinburgh last week, and will head to Stirling in coming days before moving on to locations including Aberdeen, Shetland and Orkney.
If Leonard is to become First Minister in three years time, he will need to win back the support of communities that have turned their back on Labour in favour of the SNP.
He added: “We are now offering a radical agenda for change that the SNP are simply unwilling to match.
“They have failed to deliver in the areas of Scotland that needed some extra support the most.”
The Central Scotland MSP, who aims to take on the Scottish Tories led by Ruth Davidson, said: “The broad theme I want to get across is that we are now the only main par t y opposed to austerity.
“We have a Conservative Government which is pushing through year-on-year public sector deficit reductions and squeezing public spending as a result.
“Meanwhile, in Scotland, we have an SNP which is a conveyor belt for Tory Chancellor Philip Hammond’s cuts.
“There is a crisis in the NHS and I want people to understand there is something we can do about it. I have already been knocking doors in Tarbolton in Ayrshire, for example, where a shortage of doctors has meant GP services have been cut.
“People are finding they are having to travel to neighbouring towns for treatment and this is slap bang in the middle of Jeane Freeman, the Cabinet Secretary for Health’s constituency.
“The purpose of the summer tour is to visit communities across Scotland and speak to people about what is important to them. MSPs can too easily get caught up in the Holyrood bubble but it is really important to get out of that for a spell.
“The reaction so far has been great. People are genuinely keen to discuss their concerns, whether it be jobs or the NHS or land ownership.
“People need a Government that is on their side and that is what I want to be for them.” Leonard succeeded Kezia Dugdale as Scottish Labour leader after defeating Anas Sarwar to win a leadership election last year.
His tour includes a mix of open public meetings and visits to colleges, universities and community groups, in a bid to raise his p r o f i le amon g voters.
He added: “Another example of the places I have already visited is Edinburgh University’s school of Informatics.
“It is a world-leader in computing science research and teaching, and I want to learn what we can do to take forward the industrial applications of these new technologies.
“They are looking at automation that can be at the cutting edge of manufacturing, financial services, and even social care.
“So if that is the industry of the future, we need to start planning now to make sure those ideas at Edinburgh University are realised in Scotland with long- term support and capital investment.
“So the tour is a learning process, and also about getting the message out that Tory austerity can only be combated by a Labour Government.”
People are keen to discuss their concerns about jobs or the NHS