In politics, as in real life, first impressions really do matter. The new Labour Government at Westminster would do well to remember this after a faltering return to power.
Keir Starmer and his Cabinet have been spending too much time trying to defend themselves for accepting dodgy-looking donations instead of talking about their big policy plans.
Many voters will now be more interested that the new PM accepted freebies to watch Arsenal instead of hearing about his bold proposals to reform public services.
Labour’s decision to deny winter fuel payments to most pensioners is a stain on their reputation that won’t easily wash away. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will today tell the party’s UK conference that Scotland is “crying out for change”.
He is right there. That is why the Daily Record and others in Scotland were supportive of dumping the Tories and getting Labour into Downing Street.
But if Labour don’t deliver the change people want to see at UK level, Sarwar will struggle to convince Scots to trust him with power at Holyrood.
We have to see real evidence of Labour delivering for people on the ground. If Labour want people to trust them in the 2026 Holyrood elections they need to up their game. They have already taken a tumble in the polls.
The SNP, despite their well-publicised troubles, remain an attractive left-of-centre option for many in Scotland. They will be only too happy to hoover up votes from disappointed swing voters if Labour continue to disappoint.
The Prime Minister and his Scottish Secretary Ian Murray need to articulate a positive message for the future, and fast. Otherwise Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour will be looking at four more years in futile opposition in Scotland.
Peaky blunders
The return of ScotRail to public control was supposed to be a bright new dawn for the country’s railways. But anyone who relies on ScotRail services on a regular basis would be hard pressed to point to examples of where things have improved.
The scrapping of peak time rail fares was one exception. It was welcomed by passengers and unions and led to a seven per cent growth in people taking trains. But expensive peak fares will return this week hitting customers with a big increase in ticket prices.
That will force some travellers to get back into the car for their daily commute – that’s bad for our choked-up roads and for carbon emissions. It may be late in the day but the Scottish Government needs to scrap peak time fares for good.
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