SCOTTISH LABOUR will clear “needless obstacles” holding back Scotland’s world-leading medical research, according to Anas Sarwar.

On the campaign trail promoting Labour’s industrial strategy and Scottish Labour’s blueprint for economic growth, the party’s leader pledged to ensure that the Life Sciences Council would in the future report directly to the Industrial Strategy Council, and put research on a more long-term footing with 10-year research budgets.

Mr Sarwar said: “Life sciences is a Scottish success story — creating jobs and attracting investment while making a crucial contribution to the fight against diseases like Scotland’s biggest killer, cancer.