Our society is built on a basic promise that hard work will pay off – but under the Tories that contract was broken.
After 14 years of Tory failure, working people increasingly found that their economy, their government and their public services didn’t work for them.
Housing prices spiralled out of control and the cost of living became unmanageable, but wages didn’t keep up. The world of work felt more and more precarious and levels of in-work poverty soared.
The Tories then doubled down on their shoddy treatment of working people by attacking Trade Unions and weakening workers’ rights.
That’s why it was so important that Labour got rid of this toxic Tory government and started fixing the foundations of our country.
Not only has the Labour government wasted no time tearing up the Tories’ disgraceful anti-Trade Union legislation, but it is going further, delivering the greatest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.
Labour’s game-changing Employment Rights Bill will tackle the scourge of insecure work – banning exploitative zero hour contracts and end the scandal of fire and rehire.
It will give day-one rights to more workers, meaning more people will get protection from unfair dismissal, access to sick pay, and the right parental leave.
It will introduce a right to bereavement leave, strengthen protections for pregnant women and new mothers, and stop employers skimming workers’ hard-earned tips.
Hundreds of thousands of working Scots will be better protected and better off because of these changes.
Around one in nine Scots are thought to be in insecure work – that’s almost 290,000 people.
These are the people who stand to benefit most from Labour’s changes.
The 77,000 Scots currently on a zero hour contract will now have the right to regular hours and a reliable paycheck.
And in just three weeks’ time 200,000 of the lowest paid workers in Scotland will see their pay rise as a result of Labour’s increases to the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage.
But everyone in Scotland stands to benefit from us building a stronger, fairer economy.
These changes to workers’ rights will not only improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, but they will deliver a generational shift in the world of work in the UK.
By making working people better off, we will also strengthen our economy and support businesses.
We are reshaping our entire economy and restoring that basic social contract that work will pay off.
No-one should be worrying about whether they will be able to pay their bills because their hours aren’t guaranteed and no-one should have to go to a foodbank at the end of a day of work because their pay is too low.
This Labour government is turning the page on Tory failure and delivering for working people in Scotland and across the UK.
This is the difference it makes to have a government that is on the side of working people.
St Patrick’s Day
This St Patricks Day, I want to celebrate the deep connections between Scotland and Ireland.
Our histories, cultures and people have been intertwined for centuries and without this relationship our two countries would be unrecognisable.
We see those shared links across Scottish culture to this day – in our art and music, in our sports and politics, in our cities and our communities.
I want to build on those links and crucially I want to learn from what Ireland has achieved.
Across the globe, Ireland is known as a welcoming and vibrant nation. Its arts and culture are internationally renowned and its cultural identity is a huge tourism draw.
In Scotland, we have the same story to tell. We have a fantastic international reputation, world-class arts and culture, and a strong tourism industry.
I want to build on the strength of “Brand Scotland” to attract more tourism and inward investment.
In May I’m going to Ireland to meet with government and industry leaders and get a first-hand look at how Ireland harnesses its soft power to deliver economic growth.
Our two nations have so much in common, and as First Minister I would work to strengthen those bonds and learn from Ireland’s many successes.
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