In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a stark tale of two governments play out.
The UK Labour government increased investment in defence – strengthening our national security in an increasingly unstable world and delivering jobs and investment in Scotland.
Scotland’s unique skills in engineering, manufacturing and shipbuilding make it a major UK defence hub, and the industry already supports around 25,600 jobs.
This increase in funding from the Labour government will breathe fresh life into the industry and create opportunities for Scots.
And as Labour was investing billions of pounds in Scotland, what was the SNP government doing? Sending shipbuilding work over to Poland.
A contract to build seven new ferries for Scotland’s islands wasn’t awarded to any of Scotland’s world-class shipyards – instead it went to a yard in Gdańsk.
The SNP’s own publicly-owned yard failed to win the contract, as its workers clean up the mess the SNP made of the last ferry contract.
Jobs, investment and opportunities sent overseas by the SNP.
So much for “Stronger for Scotland”.
The contrast between our two governments couldn’t be clearer – and this isn’t just a one-off fluke.
The entire system built John Swinney and the SNP is rigged against Scottish businesses, jobs, and growth.
Elsewhere in the UK, public bodies must take account of the social value when awarding contracts – meaning they need to consider benefits like fair work, job creation, economic growth, environmental impacts and wider opportunities.
The Labour government is strengthening this as part of its plan to Make Work Pay and setting up a Social Value Council to enshrine these principles into UK public procurement.
But Scotland is the only nation in the UK where there is not a minimum 10 per cent weight given to social value when awarding contracts. In fact there is no requirement to place any weight on social value at all.
The potential benefits to our communities, to our economy, and to Scottish workers are functionally irrelevant.
So contracts will continue to be sent abroad while key Scottish industries struggle.
Whether it’s Scottish ferries built in Poland, Scottish bridges made with Chinese steel, or Scottish wind turbines built in Indonesia, the SNP seem to intent on creating jobs anywhere but here.
But Labour is stepping up where the SNP has failed and is investing in Scotland’s future.
It is supporting shipbuilding through its boost in defence spending, and it is delivering transformative investment in our vast clean energy potential.
GB Energy has been established and is working to create quality jobs throughout the supply chain and deliver cheaper, cleaner energy for us all.
The National Wealth Fund will unlock investment in key industries in Scotland such as energy, tech and manufacturing, including through a Strategic Partnership with Glasgow.
The Employment Rights Bill will make sure that we are not just creating jobs but good jobs – boosting pay, tackling insecurity and expanding day-one rights for workers.
But we need a Scottish Government willing to stand up for workers.
In 2026, we can elect a Scottish Labour government that will prioritise jobs and take Scotland in a new direction.
Scotland has so much talent and potential – we can unlock it together.
NHS
Our NHS is stuck in a state of permanent crisis under the SNP.
Until recently, the incompetence and cuts of the last Tory government provided the SNP with convenient cover for its own failures, but that doesn’t work anymore.
Labour has turned the page on Tory austerity, delivering the largest Scottish budget in the history of devolution and boosting funding by £5.2 billion.
That’s game-changing amounts of money for our NHS – but as long as SNP’s mismanagement continues, we won’t see the kind of change we need.
Ending Tory austerity was the first step towards rebuilding public services, but we still need reform to make them fit for the future.
Labour has confronted these challenges head on and it is already getting results, with waiting lists steadily falling in England.
It’s cutting waste and boosting accountability by scrapping the NHS England quango and putting Ministers back in charge of the NHS.
We need the same level of ambition for Scotland.
We need to cut the number of Health Boards and put resources into frontline services.
Fewer managers; more nurses. Fewer chief executives; more doctors.
We need to expand capacity across the system and use every bit of existing capacity to drive down waiting lists.
That is the difference a Scottish Labour government will make.
Babcock
Scotland’s iconic manufacturing industry has been let down by the Tories and the SNP, with manufacturing jobs hitting a 15-year low last year.
Labour’s investment in defence is the right thing for our national security and it will also help to turn the tide on this decline, delivering jobs and investment in Scotland.
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