Labour ready to put people first in cost-of-living election, vows Sarwar

The upcoming Scottish local government ballot will be the “cost-of-living election”, Anas Sarwar has said.

The Scottish Labour leader was speaking on Thursday as he unveiled his party’s manifesto for the vote on May 5.

Mr Sarwar said the ballot should not be focused on the “bitter division of the past”, but rather on helping the public through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

He said the issue should be the priority of every level of government, as people face rising bills, petrol prices and weekly shop costs.

“People are having to decide whether they’ll perhaps pass on lunch or dinner to make sure they can feed their children,” he said.

“We’ve already heard sad stories from the Highlands, where people have stolen gas cylinders and canisters.

“We’ve heard of families, not doing it out of choice, rip up their gardens to plant vegetables. They have to do it because they can’t afford to buy it in supermarkets. We’ve heard stories about families getting products at food banks, but can’t afford the gas to cook those products.

“That’s the harsh reality facing so many of our fellow citizens right here in Scotland every single day.

“That difficult choice between heating and eating is not about political debate, it’s a real lived experience for thousands of our fellow citizens every single day.

“That’s what this election is about. This is a cost-of-living election. An election that is based around the people and not about the divisive politics of the SNP and the Tories.”

Scottish Labour’s manifesto includes a proposal to introduce a windfall tax for oil and gas giants in order to reduce household bills by up to £600.

“Oil and gas giants are making £44,000 a minute,” said Mr Sarwar.

“You’ve got directors of these companies saying, ‘we are making more money than we know what to do with it’. Right now, millions of pounds are waiting in shareholders’ bank accounts in dividends, and at the same time, people’s energy bills have gone up, petrol prices have gone up, and the food shop’s more expensive than ever.

“That’s why we will introduce a windfall tax on the oil and gas giants and put that money directly into people’s pockets.”

Mr Sarwar also addressed the £200 loan set out by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, which he said should be “turned into a grant” in order to prevent the energy rebate from stacking up costs in the future.

Areas such as rail fares would also be targeted by Scottish Labour, Mr Sarwar said.

The party would set out to freeze the cost of commuting, he said, and highlighted the model used in countries like New Zealand as an ideal framework for Scotland’s railways.

Doing so would “immediately half the cost of rail fares in the next three months”, he said.

“To take an example of someone who makes the commute from Glasgow to Edinburgh, that one measure alone would save someone over £400 over the next three months.

“That’s how you use progressive policies. That’s how you use your promise in the Scottish Parliament.”

Recent polling has suggested Scottish Labour could overtake the Scottish Conservatives in the local council elections, with a survey on Monday placing some 23% – a swing of plus three from 2017’s ballot – of respondents intending to vote for Mr Sarwar’s party as a first preference, which would see it in second place.

The Survation poll, for Ballot Box Scotland, found 44% of those asked intend to vote for the SNP – a plus-12 swing.

At the last local government election in 2017, the SNP took control of Glasgow City Council – which had been run by Labour since its creation.

Asked if he is confident Labour can take back control of Glasgow on May 5, Mr Sarwar told the PA news agency: “I want us to go into the election with the intention of winning.

“I want us to win Labour councils, I want us to make Labour gains in terms of both councillors and councils, and I think if you look at the last five years, what’s happened in Glasgow City Council, you can see the difference a Labour council makes.

“Anyone that goes into Glasgow city centre can see how neglected it’s been. Anyone who looks at the state of the roads can see the difference that a Labour council makes.

“To be blunt about it, the job of the leader of Glasgow City Council isn’t to be a Nicola Sturgeon puppet who’s just told what they’re to do.

“The job is to stand up and fight for the city, not stand up and fight for the SNP.”