SCOTTISH Labour leader Anas Sarwar will accuse the SNP of squandering the opportunities presented by devolved government in a speech marking 25 years of the Scottish Parliament today.
In its text, he says the SNP-led government has “left every institution in Scotland weaker after 17 years of incompetence” and that Scotland “needs a government that rises to today’s challenges, which are the biggest since the dawn of devolution.”
The accusations follow the SNP’s latest crisis when former leader Humza Yusaf resigned after abruptly ending the SNP’s power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens, leaving the SNP at Holyrood governing without a majority.
The SNP elected John Swinney as its new leader last week but still faces the outcome of police investigations into the disappearance of £600,000 from party finances.
According to Mr Sarwar’s speech: “Too often this government is distracted by its narrow obsessions and internal divisions.
“Today there are more than 820,000 Scots stuck on NHS waiting lists.
“Almost 10,000 children are living in temporary accommodation with no home to call their own.
“And our once-great education system has plummeted down the international league tables.”
He will call for change to bring down NHS waiting lists, tackle record levels of homelessness and close an attainment gap in Scotland’s education system.
“We need credible and effective leadership. Labour is the only party trying to pull Scotland together. And that is why we are ready for the next election so that we can ask the people of Scotland for the opportunity to change our country,” the speech goes on.
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said: “The new First Minister has made the clear offer to listen to all good ideas.
"Instead of grabbing that opportunity to actually do so, Mr Sarwar is indulging in yet more criticism from the sidelines.
"Over 100,000 children lifted out of poverty this year, the massive expansion in childcare, free university tuition fees, allowing record numbers of young people from deprived areas to go university, 126,000 affordable homes, upgrades to the M8, M73, M74 and the Queensferry Crossing delivered.
“All of these have been achieved and more by the SNP while the average Band D household pays £780 a year less in council tax than in England.
"We know Labour wants to reintroduce university tuition fees, but given this criticism from Mr Sarwar, the question he faces now is whether he wants to row back on all the other achievements too."
