Anas Sarwar has claimed Scotland is no longer the country “hardworking people deserve” after 18 years of SNP rule.
The Scottish Labour leader will today use a landmark speech in Glasgow to claim only his party can offer Scots a chance “to chart a new direction” at the next Holyrood election in 2026.
Writing in his regular column for the Record ahead of the event, Sarwar said: “It’s clear that at the next election we face a choice – more decline managed by the SNP, or a new direction for Scotland.
“Because – bluntly – our country is not the place hardworking people deserve.
“If we are to chart a new direction for Scotland, we must face the challenges holding us back. The harsh truth is that in 2025, Scotland is a nation where the SNP has weakened every institution.”
Sarwar’s speech comes after a difficult few months for his party in Scotland following a series of unpopular decisions by the new Labour Government at Westminster.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves caused a backlash last year after she ended the universal Winter Fuel Payment for older people across the UK.
Keir Starmer has also repeatedly refused to end the two-child cap on benefits despite calls from anti-poverty campaigners and members of his own party.
And the UK Government last month announced it could not afford to pay compensation to WASPI women who were impacted by long-term plans to raise the state pension age.
John Swinney has since pledged the Scottish Government will offer a new winter fuel payment to pensioners.
The SNP First Minister has also promised to begin work to mitigate the impact of the two-child cap in Scotland, although there is not a fixed date for when this will happen.
But Labour believes Scots are fed-up with the decline of public services which are the responsibility of the SNP Government.
Sarwar will today argue the Nationalists have repeatedly wasted taxpayers’ money during their almost two-decades in charge at Holyrood.
The Glasgow MSP will also spell out the urgent need for public sector reform to deliver value for money and better public services.
Labour said there were now a staggering 131 quangos – arms-length organisations funded directly by the government – which cost taxpayers’ £6.6 billion each year.
Sarwar added: “Every public service is straining under almost two decades of governmental neglect, and Scots are paying more for less.
“The SNP came to power in 2007 promising to improve lives, but instead, we’ve seen services crumble, institutions weaken, and communities left behind.
“We must squeeze value out of every penny of taxpayers’ money to deliver public services that work. More importantly politicians must stop making excuses and passing the buck – they must take responsibility.
“At the heart of both issues is a growing bureaucratic monster – a sprawling network of unelected public bodies that drain public money and deliver little in return.
“These so-called quangos were created to manage everything from healthcare to education, but far too often they’ve done more to complicate and obstruct than to improve services.
“Scotland spends a jaw-dropping £6.6 billion on these bodies each year. That’s money that could be better spent on improving services for the people of Scotland.
“It has created a culture that means when something goes wrong, the SNP government tries to dodge responsibility by blaming someone you’ve never heard of.
“It creates a culture where the government serves itself, not the people. We need a government that’s focused on delivering for the people, not a self-serving political class focused on creating jobs for the boys.”
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here