Independence won’t deliver for Scottish women

As the referendum debate in Scotland picks up pace, there is an increased focus on how women will vote. So far, it would seem that women in Scotland are steadfastly resisting Salmond’s overtures.

It’s no surprise, given that his central offer for more childcare has been dismissed by the experts, and women are starting to understand that the SNP are being led by polls and not principles.

Women are asking why, if the SNP’s commitment to equal representation is real, their parliamentary group and their cabinet is only made up of a quarter of women, until the promotion of two female ministers this weekend.

I know that women across Scotland are looking for more than Salmond’s empty chat up lines. This morning I launched Scottish Labour’s plan for the next steps for women across the country. It’s a positive, ambitious agenda which we are pledging to deliver with Labour Governments in Scotland and across the UK. But to make it a reality, I believe that Scotland has to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Throughout my lifetime, the advances made by Labour Governments for women in Scotland have been made because of, and not in spite of, being part of the United Kingdom. From the minimum wage and equal pay, to tax credits and extended maternity leave, we’ve won these arguments because of women in the Labour movement across the UK working together.

While the SNP have warm words for women when it comes to independence, we know that their number one priority is a tax cut for big business. It’s a dangerous race to the bottom that starts with corporation tax, but could end with the rights at work we have fought to deliver.

They have asked women to vote for them with a pledge on childcare that even their own experts now admit doesn’t add up. The reality is that they could deliver this childcare pledge now, with devolution.

In the face of this, Scottish Labour is offering a plan that is funded and will be delivered by Labour Governments in the UK and Scottish Parliaments. It’s also a plan that recognises that you can’t deliver equality for women with warm words – sometimes you need to have tough fights.

So while we will extend free childcare funded by the bankers levy, we’ll also not be afraid to take on vested interests in our public and private sector. That’s why we’ll tell companies to publish their pay gay and why, in Scotland, we will legislate for equal representation of men and women on public boards. This will address an area where the SNP have failed dramatically in Government. At present, only around 30% of places on public boards in Scotland are filled by women.

We also need to improve rights and conditions for women at work. Currently, around 5,000 women a year in Scotland never return to work because of discrimination. That’s why Labour across the UK would change the law to ensure that companies have to make reasonable adjustments for women returning to work. In Scotland, we’d also use new devolved powers to abolish the tribunal fees which deny justice to so many women every year.

Finally, we know that women are more likely to be in low-paid and insecure jobs, barely able to make ends meet. Labour’s ‘Make Work Pay’ contracts would incentivise companies to pay the living wage and could see the biggest increase in the wages of low paid women in Scotland since the Minimum Wage Act.

In September, Scots have a big choice to make. And my argument for carrying on as part of the UK is simple. It’s a Labour argument that says we can achieve more together than we can alone. I don’t want to see an end to the union that has delivered so much for women across our country.