Labour’s manifesto is built around the argument that Scotland’s public services have declined, not because of ideology, but because of management failure and lack of economic growth. They say the cure is competent government focused on delivery: better planning, better use of existing spending, and deliberate economic investment.
The party opens with a clear plan of 20 headline commitments spanning health, education, childcare, business, infrastructure, housing, and governance. These commitments reflect Labour’s core argument: that growth and efficient management are the routes to better public services, not spending expansion or ideological reform.
Scottish Labour faces particular challenges. The party has struggled to articulate a clear central offer beyond generic pledges to be more competent and cut waste. Anas Sarwar’s approval rating (minus 29) is the lowest since the last general election. While he frames the contest as a “presidential” race between his energy and John Swinney’s “tired leadership”, Swinney actually polls better on the question of who is doing a good job (minus 7 vs minus 29).
While an SNP win looks likely on current polling, the party’s mandate strength, and the opposition environment that will emerge. A low-turnout SNP win creates political vulnerability on specific issues – particularly public service delivery and cost of living – even if the opposition lacks the seats to force policy change. And Labour’s difficulty articulating a clear offer suggests the party will be a weaker opposition voice than either the Conservatives or Reform.
Major policy commitments include:
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NHS and health: Guarantee 48-hour GP appointments and bring back the family
doctor. End the 8am rush for appointments. Reduce health boards from 14 to 3 to cut bureaucracy. Invest in AI-enabled scanners for cancer detection. Establish an emergency mental health response service (paramedics and mental health professionals, not police). Legislate for Milly's Law to improve patient safety and accountability. -
Housing: Deliver 125,000 new homes by 2031 across all tenures, with 52,300 affordable homes. Create a dedicated Housing Bank and Housing Development Trusts as lead developers for each region. Treat housing as critical national infrastructure and use zonal planning to pre-approve projects. Increase LBTT relief threshold to £200,000, saving first-time buyers up to £1,100.
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Energy and nuclear: Remove the "ideological block" on new nuclear energy and support small modular reactors. Support expansion of renewable energy (wind, hydro, solar, tidal). Introduce a new Marine Plan with spatial approach to clarify roles of offshore wind, fishing, and coastal communities.
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Skills and apprenticeships: Create 9,000 new apprenticeship places. Establish Apprenticeship Centres of Excellence in colleges. Introduce a Digital Skills Passport so workers can record qualifications and move between jobs. Create a statutory skills board to align apprenticeships with economic need.
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Transport and infrastructure: Invest £350m to repair roads and fix potholes. Dual the A9 by 2035 and commission business cases for A75/A77. Deliver the Glasgow airport rail link as a national priority. Bring local bus services back under public control through fast- track franchising. Merge CMAL and CalMac into a single public ferry agency.
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Agriculture and rural support: Modernise agricultural support system to balance
food production with environmental outcomes. Cap tier 1 payments to larger businesses; redistribute to smaller farmers and crofters. Invest in local abattoirs and fish processing facilities. Review crofting legislation to keep it accessible for the next generation. Treat food and drink as strategic economic assets.
Download our full Scottish Labour manifesto analysis here.
by Sam Rowe