Read Scottish Labour manifesto Sarwar calls a ‘blueprint to brighter future’

Anas Sarwar will today unveil Scottish Labour’s election manifesto, declaring that a vote for his party is a “vote to change Scotland for this generation and the next”.

The Scottish Labour leader will launch the document later today, now available on the Labour website, and is expected to urge voters to think about the next generation of Scots when they cast their vote on July 4th, pledging that Labour would “look after young people from cradle to career”.

Sarwar is expected to particularly highlight Labour’s commitment to scrap minimum wage age bands and its pledge to ensure the minimum wage “is a genuine living wage”, with Scottish Labour claiming that more than 200,000 people in Scotland, including 40,000 young people, would see their pay rise as a result.

READ MORE: ‘Could SNP and Tory talk of a Labour landslide fuel complacency on the left?’

Sarwar will say: “This election is an opportunity to deliver change for everyone in Scotland right now. But this election is also about the next generation of Scots and the future we build for them. Giving them back hope and opportunity.

“Opportunities for their own future so that every young Scot can fill their true potential and hope for Scotland’s future. A vote for Scottish Labour on July 4th is a vote to change Scotland for this generation and the next.”

The Scottish Labour leader is expected to add: “We will do this by improving access to apprenticeships, supporting first-time buyers, creating those jobs in the industries of the future and delivering a pay rise for 40,000 young Scots.

“Labour will look after young people from cradle to career. No matter a child’s background they should leave education equipped with the skills they need for work and life. Labour will spread opportunity at every age, because every child should believe that success belongs to them.

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“Under the Tories, thousands are stuck in poverty pay – and under the SNP, youth unemployment has risen and opportunities have been taken away.

“I promise the young people of Scotland that this is not as good as it gets. This election is the chance to deliver a decade of national renewal, and this manifesto is a blueprint to a brighter future. It’s an opportunity to change Scotland for this generation – and the next. It’s an opportunity we need to make sure we don’t miss.”

Scottish Labour said its manifesto will “outline the first steps of change” that a UK Labour government would deliver for Scotland but also “look ahead to the change that a Scottish Labour government could implement after the 2026 Holyrood election”.

As well as reflecting many of the policies included in Labour’s national manifesto, Scottish Labour said its manifesto will also set out specific changes the party believes are needed in Scotland, including a ‘skills to school’ programme with reforms to careers advice developed in partnership with the private and public sector.

Read more of our 2024 general election coverage here.

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