Scottish Labour: Starmer to accuse SNP and Tories of being “joined at the hip”

Keir Starmer is set to tell the Scottish Labour conference that the SNP and Tories are “joined at the hip” as both ruling parties want to “see every election turned into the same referendum” and lack the “credible policies” needed.

Addressing the in-person conference at 2pm on Saturday, the UK Labour leader will describe Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP as the “the party of North Sea nationalism” that is selling off Scotland’s natural assets to foreign interests.

He will make the case that Labour in government would be “in partnership with business to create work” and – unlike the Conservative Party – would not treat British business “with disdain, disinterest and disrespect”.

Starmer is expected to say: “Labour in power is always power exercised in partnership with the people. But because this government is so distracted, it has no plan for household finances and no economic planning at all.

“And I ask you, what do these Tories and the SNP have in common? Well, beyond being joined at the hip in their desire to see every election turned into the same referendum again, and again.

“They have no industrial strategy that is good enough to meet the challenge of our age. Neither have the credible policies we need to create and sustain decent jobs.   

“Decades in power between them, and neither of these governments have done enough to secure the jobs and industries of the future on our shores.

“The so-called party of British business is barely able to talk to business. Whilst the party of North Sea nationalism is now selling Scotland’s offshore wind to every foreign energy interest imaginable.   

“So, we also have a new opportunity now. To have a Labour government that will be in partnership with business to create work. Instead of a Tory government that treats British business with disdain, disinterest and disrespect.

“Because Labour is the party of work, we always have been. There is no challenge ahead of us, whether it’s automation or climate change, that we cannot rise to.”

Scottish Labour conference is taking place in Glasgow between Friday 4th and Sunday 6th March this year. Party leader Anas Sarwar used his own speech to ask SNP voters to back Labour at the next general election and kick out the Tories.

“I say directly to people who may not have voted for us in the last three general elections – maybe you voted for the SNP to send the Tories a message. When the next election comes, if you want to get rid of the Tories, the only way – the only way – to do that is by voting Labour,” he said.

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, used her speech on Friday to outline plans to tackle NHS waiting, ensuring that there are dedicated diagnostic and elective treatment centres in every health board area.

Promising to support health and social care staff and tackle vacancies, Baillie promised fair pay for Scotland’s social care work force, free residential care for Scots over 65, plug the gap in non-residential care funding and invest in respite care.