LABOUR: Scottish Labour will prioritise cancer services to offer “world-class” care rather than focusing on a divisive independence referendum, Anas Sarwar has said.

The party leader has warned that up to 7,000 people may have cancer but be unaware of it because of a diagnosis backlog caused when services were suspended earlier in the pandemic.

Mr Sarwar has accused Nicola Sturgeon of underfunding the NHS and said that the “distracted” SNP leader had “taken her eye off the ball” on cancer services.

GREENS: The Scottish Greens will stress the need for urgent action on the climate as they enter the final days of campaigning ahead of the Holyrood election.

Co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater said that this election is the last in which Scotland has time to move to a low-carbon economy.

Mr Harvie said: “We need urgent action on the climate emergency if we are going to secure our survival — this election will be the last where we can still make a significant policy shift.”

CONVERSION THERAPY: Every party represented in Holyrood has made a manifesto commitment to banning so-called gay conversion therapy, ahead of next week’s parliamentary elections.

The End Conversion Therapy Scotland campaign say they have received over 200 pledges from election candidates, and have been fully endorsed by the Greens and Lib Dems. 

Campaigner Sophie Duncan said: “Conversion therapy belongs in an earlier era. It’s a cruel practice which has no place in our society.”