Scotland deserves better

By Kezia Dugdale / @kezdugdale

Edinburgh City Council has to find £90 million’s worth of savings over the next three years to make their books balance, and that’s before they learn what their local government settlement from the Holyrood government will be next year.

One of the policies the SNP/Lib Dem council are considering, in order to save money, is fortnightly bin collections. A “courageous” move, which will be heavily resisted by local residents.

Protestations against cuts to nursery places, home help and school closures pale into insignificance in light of threats to environmental waste services. Brave, middle class, hearts cry “You may take our lives, but you’ll never take our weekly bin collections.”

But there is an exception to the rule – those parts of our great city that reside in the World Heritage Site will retain their daily bin collections, and one of those residents set to benefit is the First Minister himself, whose official residence, Bute House, sits in the serene Charlotte Square of Edinburgh’s salubrious West End.

This led the local paper in Edinburgh, the Evening News, to publish a cartoon yesterday of the First Minister positioned outside his official residence, surrounded by black bin bags, lamenting that he must have a daily pick up because he has so much rubbish to get rid of. Each black bin bag in the picture contained one of his 2007 election promises.

Funny though it was, this cartoon said so much more about the state of Scottish politics ahead of next year’s election.

Scotland faces a perfect storm of public sector cuts. Compared with the rest of the UK, Scottish unemployment is higher and economic growth is slower. 25% of the population work in the public sector. The coalition cuts combined with the SNP’s decision to delay in-year cuts this year creates the foundations for a freefall in public spending. The pain will be felt by all, but most profoundly by the vulnerable, so heavily reliant on public services.

Scottish Labour goes into its conference in Oban this weekend well placed to win back power. The polls show Labour comfortably ahead and the party is united around leader Iain Gray.

Every political party craves momentum in an election – but the minute it has it, it fears its loss. Scottish Labour has the momentum at the moment, but 6 months must pass before the country goes to the polls.

In order to hold on to that momentum, the party faces a two pronged challenge. Firstly, it must show that Labour is serious, determined and ready to return to government. Secondly, it must produce a manifesto brimming with credible policies which inspire and comfort the country but are, in the main, cost neutral.

The first challenge is easily surmounted. In our leader Iain Gray, the country has a serious man for serious times. A statesman – in stark contrast to Alex Salmond’s showman antics.

I don’t anticipate that there will be many major policy announcements this weekend. Not least because the last major manifesto commitment Labour made – to a living wage – the SNP neutralised within days by adopting themselves.

Now I’m all for a more pluralistic politics, but there’s no need to show all your cards six months out.

No – the key message from the conference this weekend must be about supporting economic recovery and creating jobs.

It’s what the country wants, and needs, to hear. But it’s also where the SNP’s most significant failures will be exposed.

Mr Salmond would have you believe that Scotland’s economic woes can only be addressed by independence. The reality is that they have only been exacerbated by the inaction of his government.

It is no longer good enough, and it’s time for the Scottish Labour Party to step forward and show that Scotland deserves better.