Sarwar attacks SNP as he sets out ‘ambitious programme’
ANAS Sarwar has attacked the “failing” SNP Government for making “too many mistakes” in vital areas such as education and health as he prepares to launch his party’s manifesto today.
In an interview with The Herald, the Scottish Labour leader pledged to oversee the “most ambitious affordable housebuilding programme in the history of devolution”.
He said he would seek to build at least 120,000 social rented homes over the next 10 years, with an aspiration to build up to 200,000.
Labour estimates the plan would support 19,000 jobs.
The SNP has promised to deliver 100,000 affordable homes over the next decade, with at least 70 per cent of these being for social
rent. Labour will also commit to dramatically increasing affordable childcare, with the eventual ambition of offering 50 hours a week for every child.
The party’s manifesto, due to be launched this morning, will be separated into two parts: the immediate recovery plans and Labour’s priorities over the next five years.
Mr Sarwar said he is prepared to move to a “more progressive” income tax system if necessary to generate extra cash. This would place an additional burden on top earners, “around the £100-150,000 mark”.
The Labour leader said: “Our presumption is against tax rises, but if we needed tax rises, that’s who it would impact.”
Mr Sarwar said he “wholeheartedly” recognised Labour has not been good enough, but insisted he is “deadly serious” about rebuilding the party.
Speaking to The Herald, he said: “I could talk to you all day about a number of the mistakes that the Labour Party has made.
“This is not one thing that I think has caused the decline. I think it has been a 20-year decline of the Labour Party in Scotland.
“I think part of that is we delivered devolution, we delivered the Scottish Parliament, but we didn’t look like we came to terms with devolution ourselves as a political party.”
Mr Sarwar said the 2014 referendum had a “huge impact in terms of shifting the balance of our politics”.
He said he wanted Labour “back on the pitch”.
Nicola Sturgeon has previously highlighted that she is the only party leader putting herself forward as a serious contender for First Minister in May, while Labour and the Tories fight for second place.
Asked if this was a sign that politics is broken, Mr Sarwar said: “Yes, and we have to accept that we have a failing Government that has [made] too many mistakes, taken its eye off the ball on drug deaths, taken its eye off the ball around NHS care, taken its eye off the ball on education, taken its eye off the ball on child poverty, taken its eye off the ball on the jobs crisis.
“And I have very clearly said that Scotland deserves a better government and a better opposition. The opposition has not been good enough in Scotland, and the Government has not been good enough in Scotland.
“But the only way we can replace a failing government is if you have an opposition that is up to the task, and our opposition hasn’t been up to the task in recent times.
“I’m working really hard to give Scotland the opposition and the Government it deserves and needs, and I’ve been very open and honest about that.”
Mr Sarwar said he is not setting any target for how many seats he wants to win in May, and “that’s partly because when I came into the job seven weeks ago we were at 14 per cent in the polls, and people’s estimation was one of doom and gloom”.
He said: “I’ve been very clear that this is a long-term project, and I’m taking the Labour Party, I hope, on a journey that takes the Scottish people with us.”
Mr Sarwar’s campaign has repeatedly emphasised the need to focus on national recovery and move away from the “old” constitutional arguments.
He dodged directly answering a question about whether it would be democratically acceptable for the UK Government to block a second referendum if there is a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament.
He later added: “This election is not over. I don’t think independence is inevitable. I don’t think an independence referendum is inevitable.”
Mr Sarwar insisted Labour is the “most ambitious” party in terms of its ideas and its policies in the election campaign.
Its manifesto will include plans for a new National Housing Agency, which will be responsible for acquiring land and driving housing delivery.
Mr Sarwar said building affordable housing will be at the heart of his national recovery plan.
Elsewhere, the manifesto will commit to establishing a National Care Service and ending the “dementia tax”. This follows a campaign by Alzheimer Scotland, backed by The Herald.