Labour inherited a mess from the Conservatives when they finally returned to power at Westminster last year.
The Tories’ obsession with Brexit and a total failure to plan for the Covid pandemic were just two contributing factors to the UK’s sluggish economy.
But Keir Starmer is now the man in charge and it’s up to him and his Government to steer the country back on course.
The economy was top of the agenda when the Cabinet met for an unusual Friday meeting in London yesterday for a mammoth six-hour session.
It came after the Bank of England slashed its growth forecast for the year ahead and warned the near-term outlook for the economy had darkened.
Rachel Reeves is determined to achieve growth at all costs.
The Chancellor will deliver her spring statement on March 26 and speculation is mounting that cuts to public spending will be announced.
But such a decision could hand more ammo to the right-wing populists like Nigel Farage, who win support by carping from the sidelines without offering any constructive alternative.
Starmer is right when he says parties like Reform only deal in grievances, not solutions.
It’s imperative the Labour Government delivers real improvements in the lives of ordinary people.
Things like boosting the national minimum wage from April 1 will make a positive difference to many.
Much more needs to be done. Starmer and Reeves must boost the economy.
But they most also offer a positive vision to people across the UK that better times lie ahead.
Back Sir Chris
Sir Chris Hoy is a hero and an inspiration to us all.
He brought pride to Scotland with every turn of the pedal during his rampages at successive Olympics.
We shared his joy when he became the first British Olympian to win six gold medals.
And the nation felt wounded when news emerged of Chris’s cancer diagnosis last year.
It is the mark of the man, a testament to his quiet charisma and determination, that he’s refused to be bowed by cancer.
He has instead chosen to meet it head-on, to get on his bike again and do whatever he can to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer.
He is saving lives every day, driving forward research that stops the killer disease in its tracks.
Every Scot with a bike should consider getting on it in September to support his Tour de 4 fundraising trek from Glasgow to Edinburgh.