Education, education, education.
This was a central focus of the Last Labour governments at Westminster and here in Scotland at Holyrood too. In Scotland, we worked hard to live up to Scottish education’s long-deserved reputation of being one of the best in the world.
Under Scottish Labour’s watch we boosted teacher numbers, reformed the curriculum and saw Scotland perform well in international league tables.
But since coming into power in 2007, the SNP has overseen a sharp decline in standards in our schools.
Despite promising that closing the attainment gap was the ‘defining mission’ of the SNP government, their record over the last 17 years has been one of failure – with John Swinney at the heart.
On the SNP’s watch we have seen huge educational inequality, violence in our classroom and cut after cut to teacher numbers. And just this week the full extent of the SNP’s incompetence was revealed.
On Tuesday it was revealed that 40 per cent of pupils have Additional Support Needs – a new record. But, over the past decade, the number of ASN teachers has fallen by almost 400, all on the watch of this SNP government.
At the same time, pupil absences have soared.
We now face a situation where one in three Scottish children are regularly not attending school. Some are absent for a handful of day a week, but others are missing weeks, months and even years of their education.
Frankly this government is failing teachers, children and their families.
Last week, the National Parent Forum for Scotland has condemned the SNP government saying: “Many parents are left feeling that their children are being failed by our current system.”
This is shocking. Education was supposed to be this government’s top priority. But it is clear that John Swinney and the SNP have failed.
A child not getting the support they need in school affects their whole lives – from their work life to their personal life. Education is meant to be the great leveller that allows every child to thrive.
But under the SNP, Scotland’s young people are not being given the opportunities they deserve. The failure in our schools is on John Swinney.
As Education Secretary John Swinney deliberately marked down the work of working-class children during the pandemic. And now as First Minister he is overseeing the erosion of our education system and our other public services.
Scotland’s schools were once the envy of the world – but the SNP has turned them into a pale shadow of their past.
Enough is enough. We need a new direction for our young people that values them and seeks to unlock their potential.
A new direction that deals with the attainment gap and closes the opportunity gap for working-class kids. And a new direction that ends the epidemic of violence and absence in Scotland’s schools.
Children are the future of our country – but John Swinney has failed them.
That’s why we need a new direction to let our children thrive.
Too many cops are choosing to quit the force
If you’re unlucky enough to be the victim of crime, you want to know the police will come to help you. But what if there’s no one left to call?
Scottish Labour research found that the number of officers quitting their jobs to follow other careers surged by 49 percent between 2019 and 2023.
On average, police quit nine years before they officially have to retire. After years of SNP cuts and managed decline, it seems those on the beat are voting with their feet.
Of course, crime gangs have no problem recruiting new members. And at a time when the SNP is releasing prisoners early, the last thing we need is to lose experienced officers.
The SNP must urgently restore police morale. Scottish Labour will restore community police officer numbers and improve co-ordination between emergency services.
We will also roll out basic tech like body cameras – something the SNP has been promising and failing to do for years. Taking the pressure off police officers’ shoulders will allow them to focus on what they’re best at – gathering intelligence, keeping the peace and arresting criminals.
It’s a tough enough job to do as it is without mopping up the government’s mess.
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