Kezia Dugdale challenges Sturgeon to use new powers to “be radical”

Kezia Dugdale has urged Nicola Sturgeon to “be bold” and work with Labour, rather than the Conservatives, following the SNP leader’s election as First Minister with a minority Government in Scotland.

The Scottish Labour leader has encouraged Sturgeon to“find allies in progressive parties” and build a consensus with the left. She added that the alternative was to look to the Scottish Conservatives who will “ask Government to do less and cut more” instead of using the new devolved powers to challenge the existing inequalities in a speech in Holyrood today.

“The Scottish people have delivered a result in this election that has matched a strong Scottish Government with a strong Scottish Parliament to keep it in check.

“The people have changed the balance of power in this Parliament and they have deprived the government of a majority. That means an even greater responsibility on the First Minister to build consensus and to reach out to parties that represent the wide and varied interests of people across Scotland.

“Each time she reaches out, she’ll be faced with a choice. She can look to the left where she’ll find allies in progressive parties, who believe in the power of government to transform lives or she can look right, to conservative forces who ask government to do less and cut more.

“I hope and expect the First Minister to use her mandate to be radical and to use all the powers available to change the lives of the people who live in our great country.”

In Scottish Parliament elections earlier this month Labour slipped to third place, with 24 MSPs after the Scottish Conservatives’ 31. The SNP are two seats short of a majority, with 63 members and will govern with a minority in Holyrood.

Since then Dugdale has promised to keep many elements of Labour’s manifesto, instead opting to rebuild the party’s image in order to win the electorate’s support.